The Discursive Constructions in School: A Qualitative Assessment of Value Conflicts between School Ethos and Everyday Life

Abstract

The debate of quality education in Pakistan revolves around three basic
systems of education – Elite English Medium Education System, State
Urdu Medium Education System and Madrassa Education System.
However, the history and discourse of education planning and
development in Pakistan largely ignores the aspects of school
socialization when addressing the development issues of children. While
focusing on the psychological and cultural incongruences in the school
socialization experiences of children, this paper asks that what are the
major realms where school going children experience conflicts between
the school ethos and real-life practices? The ethnographic study was
conducted in Chakwal city, located in Punjab Province, involving
participant observation in private and public schools. In-depth interviews
were also conducted to acquire a holistic understanding of emerging
trends of school ethos among students. The sample was selected through
purposive sampling which includes students, parents and teachers
belonging to different educational levels and diverse socio-economic
backgrounds. The findings suggest that the incongruence between school
socialization and what children experience in wider society engender
conflicting worldviews eventually creating everyday value-conflicts and
identity crisis among children.