Epistemic injustice through prioritizing science education in secondary schools

• In Event: Learning in and Out of Formal Schooling

Proposal

In the context of Pakistan's education system, there exists a prevailing notion that science and technology skills are pivotal for economic progress and meeting the demands of local, national, and global industries (Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training, 2018). Science education is therefore characterized as the most valuable form of knowledge in curricula and pedagogy in secondary grade classrooms. Consequently, there is marginalization of other forms of knowledge such as arts, social sciences, politics, humanities, and indigenous knowledges. In this paper, I discuss how the hegemony of western science as the most legitimate form of knowledge creates epistemic injustice (Fricker, 2015; Walker, 2019 a, b; 2020) in the lives of low-income secondary girl students, where their capacity to know and create knowledge is often disregarded.
To understand the knowledge hierarchies within Pakistan's education system, it is imperative to acknowledge the colonial history of the Indian Subcontinent. British colonialization strategically promoted Western education, molding a loyal elite class of Indian subjects to govern the masses (Saigol, 1993; Seth, 2007). During this period, the British controlled the dissemination of knowledge, creating hierarchies that elevated Western knowledge while undermining local learning centers for various religious and ethnic groups (Seth, 2007; Khoja-Moolji, 2017). Through scientific and technological inventions, western epistemology became the beacon of progress and modernity (Mignolo, 2002; Seth, 2007; 2022). To this day, western epistemology is considered the most legitimate and superior form of knowing and being, even among the formerly colonized nations (Mignolo, 2002; Seth, 2007; 2022). In the present-day Pakistan, English language instruction and Western-influenced curricula still defines the most privileged modes of education further recreating social class and gender inequities (see Khurshid, 2016; Malik, 2012; Tamim 2014).
This paper is part of my doctoral study, where I investigate how classroom teaching and learning practices challenge and/or reinforce social inequities experienced by female, low-income secondary-grade students in Pakistan. Over a seven-month period, I conducted 250 hours of ethnographically informed observations within classrooms, staffrooms, hallways, and other spaces in two female public schools located in an urban city of Pakistan. Additionally, I conducted interviews with 9 teachers and 23 students from 6th and 9th grades in these schools. My findings indicate that science education held significant value in the eyes of teachers, students, and parents alike. To pursue science subjects, such as Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, and Biology/Computer Studies, students were required to meet a specific percentage threshold in their eighth-grade exams. Consequently, those who did not meet this criterion had to opt for arts subjects (General Math, General Science, and two electives from education, economics, physical education, computer studies, and Islamiyat) if offered in the school. Conversely, students in the science groups were encouraged to aspire to esteemed careers in society, such as doctors, engineers, army officers, pilots, and teachers, while their arts counterparts remained unaware of the opportunities available to them after completing secondary education. Teachers and students deemed arts subjects inferior in terms of academic rigor and their potential for diverse educational and career pathways. Consequently, teachers and students themselves perceived those students who were not able to reach the science threshold as inherently nalaiq (incapable), unintelligent, and lacking motivation.

Teachers held conflicting views regarding the abilities of students in the arts groups. While they acknowledged that the education system failed to promote the learning of artistic and vocational skills that arts students might excel in, they also maintained a belief that these students were inherently unintelligent and lacked ambition. This perception is manifested not only in their academic performance but also in co-curricular activities, behavior, and hygiene. Consequently, teachers employed distinct pedagogies for each group, where students in science groups were encouraged to explore problem-solving independently, while arts students were often provided complete answers and solutions to memorize for passing marks.
Encouraging female students to pursue science subjects may seem like a means to challenge previously held gender norms, where technical and scientific education was predominantly reserved for men. However, I contend that the division of students into science and arts groups results in the epistemic exclusion of girls from lower socio-economic backgrounds. To excel in science subjects, students often require private tuition and/or access to educated individuals at home, along with parents who can actively engage in their studies. Therefore, students need to possess a certain level of economic and cultural capital to excel in scientific education. The practices adopted by schools filter out students early in their education that are not able to cope with the demands of science subjects. Furthermore, the limiting beliefs for arts students held by teachers and translated in their pedagogies create a disregard for these students’ abilities to gain and contribute to knowledge.
The value attributed to scientific education aligns with the market economy where education serves an important function of human capital development. The simultaneous disregard of indigenous knowledges and even marginalization of social sciences and humanities denies students the abilities to develop diverse perspectives on the world and gain political consciousness. In the absence of other forms of knowledge, the students are also unable to develop conceptual resources that can help them recognize their epistemic oppression (Toole, 2019). This study sheds light on the consequences of a commonplace educational practice in public schools where students are divided based on their aptitude in science education. By understanding these epistemic inequalities, we can foster education reforms that promote equitable learning environments for students.

Author

• Fatima Tufail, University of Minnesota