CHALLENGES FACED BY EDUCATORS IN TEACHING THE URDU LANGUAGE AT PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KARACHI.

کراچی کے سرکاری پرائمری اسکولوں میں اردو زبان کی تدریس میں اساتذہ کو درپیش مسائل

Abstract

Urdu is a widely spoken and understood language throughout Pakistan, serving as the national language. Karachi, as the largest city in Pakistan, experiences significant internal migration, leading to a diverse linguistic landscape among its residents. The instruction of Urdu in public primary schools in Karachi is confronted with a multitude of interconnected challenges impacting both educators and students. Urdu language teachers frequently contend with substantial class sizes, constrained instructional periods, and insufficient access to contemporary teaching and learning resources. Furthermore, many students commence their education with varied linguistic backgrounds, including Sindhi, Pashto, Punjabi, Balochi, or other regional dialects, which complicates Urdu acquisition and necessitates enhanced pedagogical assistance. Currently, there is a pervasive trend of English language usage, often at the expense of proficiency in Urdu. Many individuals demonstrate a lack of foundational Urdu grammar and frequently mispronounce words. Consequently, they encounter difficulties in reading and writing Urdu. This escalating disengagement from Urdu is leading to its perception as a challenging language. To address this, there is a critical need for expert educators capable of delivering clear and effective Urdu language instruction. Existing teacher training programs are inadequate, particularly in modern, child-centered, and activity-based language teaching methodologies. Furthermore, outdated curricula, insufficient administrative support, and limited parental engagement exacerbate the challenges in providing effective Urdu education. Socioeconomic factors within public school communities also negatively influence students’ preparedness for learning and their access to essential resources. Collectively, these issues impede the development of Urdu literacy and language proficiency at the primary education level. The primary objective of this research study is to identify the challenges encountered by government teachers and students in Karachi during the instruction of Urdu at the primary level. This research was exclusively confined to public primary schools within Karachi. Four research questions were developed for this study. This was fundamentally an applied research endeavor. Distinct questionnaires and interview protocols were designed for teachers, students, and parents. The questionnaire data was analyzed using simple percentages, and the interviews were also subjected to analysis. Based on the findings, the researcher has proposed several recommendations, taking into account the overarching issues. Adhering to these suggestions has the potential to mitigate the problem