By Sultan Muhammad
Published
in LOH-O-QALAM 1998-99
AN INTERVIEW WITH “MADAM
“PATRICIA OWEN”
Professor at
College of Education, Sussex University, England.
(An interview was conducted with the
visiting Professor Madam Patricia Owen of the University of Sussex, England.
The purpose of her visit to the Peshawar University and especially to the
Institute of Education and Research was to conduct her research on teachers
training programme. She was kind enough in providing some interesting
information about her research and the purpose of her visit. This interview is
presented here for the interest of all readers generally and for the B.ED. and M.Ed. Students particularly, because it would broaden their outlook on life).
INTERVIEWER: Sultan Muhammad, B.Ed.
student.
INTERVIEWER: your
good name?
VISITOR: My
name is Patricia Owen.
INTERVIEWER: Would you mind
telling us your qualifications and the nature of your work at the university?
VISITOR: I work at
the University of Sussex, in the Institute of Education. My work is to provide training
to postgraduate students who opt for secondary school teaching course. The
duration of teachers training course is one year. I specialized in history
teaching at secondary level. But I am also engaged with the professional
studies programme in the PGC (Postgraduate Certificate) course. Apart from that
I do work on the master schools teaching courses on such issues as gender and
education. I deliver some “general professional studies” lectures and organize
workshops. I do my own personal research, which in on “concepts of citizenship”
and on various aspects of “women’s history” and now, currently, I am working on
“teacher Motivation” in the university of Peshawar, in Pakistan, and at the
University of Sussex, in England. I also take up short term projects as and
when they arise.
INTERVIEWER: Tell us about the
education system of your country and are you satisfied with your education
system?
VISITOR: I think
that certainly there are a lot of changes and there are a lot of changes in
training at the moment. And I think that there will really be quite many
changes within the next three or four years. Since people express
dissatisfaction with the existing system of education, many changes are
expected.
INTERVIEWER: What is the
percentage of those students who complete school level education and how many
complete university level education?
VISITOR: the
percentage that compete school level is quite high, children can leave at the
age of sixteen or eighteen, I don’t know the exact figures but I do know that
for more students now stay at school after age sixteen. All children have to go
to school between age five to six, but after age sixteen a greater proportion
are staying on, until they are seventeen or eighteen or nineteen years old. The
percentage that completes university level has increased a lot in the last five
or ten years.
INTERVIEWER: tell us about
computer education? Do you give computer education from primary level?
VISITOR: yes we do
yes we give computer education from primary level and there is a big move very
recently now to increase the amount of computer education that children have.
There is a great deal of computer education in England.
INTERVIEWER: how many vacations
do you enjoy yearly?
VISITOR: we have
total vacation about twelve weeks per year.
INTERVIEWER: Does it include the
two holidays of Saturday & Sunday?
VISITOR: Twelve
weeks’ vacation plus weekends Saturday and Sunday, we have working days from
Monday to Friday. It usually varies from school to school, most start at 80:30
and continue till four o’clock. Teachers generally stay on, they usually leave
school at about 5 pm.
INTERVIEWER: what is the average
salary per month of the teacher at school level and college level in UK?
VISITOR: Difficult
to say because there are several salaries scales. But the average level is
probably about 18 to 20 hundred pounds for teacher and probably about the same
for college lecturer maybe a little less may be little, high (in Pakistani
money, it amounts to thirteen thousand per month).
INTERVIEWER: What is the method
of classification in your school, do you classify by mental level of the
student or by age?
VISITOR: Student is
generally classified by age.
INTERVIEWER: what are the
co-curricular activities and what are the timings for co-curricular activities?
VISITOR: As I said
children finish in the afternoon about half past three to four, there quite often
would be an hour or two after school, for activities. The interested students
can have co-curricular activities during break for lunch. During holidays
certain educational trips are organized.
INTERVIEWER: What is the purpose
of your visit to Pakistan?
VISITOR: I came as Births
Council Link visitor as part of the link between the I.E.R of Peshawar
university and Institute of Education, University of Sussex. We are planning to
improve teacher training between the two Institutes.
INTERVIEWER: why did you select
this university for this purpose?
VISITOR: I did not
necessarily select this University, it is only because a colleague of mine has
a friendship and connection with Dr. Galani and on that way it is the first
step.
INTERVIEWER: Which part of Pakistan
do you want to see and which part you like.
VISITOR: I like to
see the cities; I like to see the other big cities like Lahore, Karachi and
Rawalpindi. I like to see the countryside; I would like to see other parts of
Pakistan.
INTERVIEWER: what do you think
about the education system of Pakistan?
VISITOR: I think, a
lot of people are working very hard, but I think it is possible to get most
children in school. Until teachers are more respected in Pakistani society, I
think it will be quite hard for education to progress.
INTERVIEWER: As you know that
our medium of instruction is English, what do you think what language will be
better for us as medium of instruction Urdu of English and why?
VISITOR: This is a
very difficult question because it is for you to decide. It is your country I
know, Urdu is your national language, and obviously it is important that the
people speak the national good knowledge of Urdu as well as English.
INTERVIEWER: Can you choose
other language as a medium of instruction instead of English e. g. French or
German?
VISITOR: A good
question, no we don’t. but some people do study some subjects in other languages.
In some schools there are lessons, of say, science in German or business study
in Spanish but that is rare and that’s interesting parallel with your
difficulties of English or Urdu etc. etc. I think the language problem you
have, which in England, we don’t have, English is a international language so
as we are lucky because it is also our native language. But for you it means
two languages and that difficult and obviously every country needs to have its
own language as part of its identity.
INTERVIEWER: What will you
suggest for the improvement of our education system?
VISITOR: I think
better payment for teachers and more government support for teachers and less
corruption in all aspects of the education will improve the system.
INTERVIEWER: What do you like in
Pakistan and what would you like to take from here?
VISITOR: I would
like to take the friendly feelings of the people I have met. Friendship is
highly valued by me. Which is very good and practically I am impressed with the
friendly way I have been treated. And I think that the Pakistan people are very
warmhearted.
INTERVIEWER: How do you find
Peshawar and the people of Peshawar ad especially in I.E.R?
VISITOR: People are
very warm and very welcoming and I am extremely satisfied with the welcome I
received here.
INTERVIEWER: Thank you for
sparing time and for providing some very valuable information. I am sure the
students of I.E.R will find it very interesting. I thank you once again.
VISITOR: It’s my
pleasure, sharing my experiences with you thanks.
