Yet, it's a pity that many Pakistanis still don't have the opportunity to develop their intellectual skills through formal education, past their school and university years.

Perhaps a more flexible learning system, offering a wide array of professional courses, may attract more adults to pursue learning at any stage of their lives. Irrespective of whether they're 20, 40, 60 or even 80, continuing education could be the answer to our country's educational woes.

A popular system of education in Canada and other developed nations, continuing education provides a learning platform to adult learners — from professionals who are interested in upgrading their skills, to learners who want to embark on a new career, to people who simply attain joy out of learning.

The flexibility to enrol in evening and online courses also allows individuals to learn, while having a full-time job or other daytime commitments. Even though, many universities in Pakistan offer evening and part-time courses, the concept of continuing education hasn't quite evolved in the country.

I've been a continuing education learner at the University of Toronto since 2004. And in my time, I've studied subject areas as diverse as creative writing, novel writing, screen writing and public relations.

Not only have these courses enhanced my skills and helped me in the workforce, but more importantly, they've served as an avenue to explore subject areas I've always been interested in, but never had a chance to study while I was a full-time student at university.

In addition to increasing my knowledge base, I've had the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life — learners who bring together years of life experience into a classroom, making the learning experience much more enriching and fulfilling.

Some courses also lead to professional certifications, which not only adds to one's résumé, but also lets employers know that you are making a conscious effort to upgrade your skills, so you stand a better chance of achieving your career goals.

In a World Bank report entitled Lifelong Learning in the Global Knowledge Economy — Challenges for Developing Countries, prepared by a team led by Toby Linden and Harry Anthony Patrinos, the authors write that the global knowledge economy is changing the demands of the global labour market and placing new demands on citizens.

Training people to handle such demands requires a new system of education and training — a model of lifelong learning, they write.

The authors believe lifelong learning includes learning through formal training institutions such as schools and universities, on-the-job training and skills learned from family members and people in the community.

“Firms can no longer rely solely on new graduates or new labour market entrants as the primary source of new skills and knowledge. Instead they need workers who are willing and able to update their skills throughout their lifetimes,” the authors write.

“Countries need to respond to these needs by creating education and training systems that equip people with the appropriate skills.”

I think the real challenge for Pakistan lies in financing such a system of education, considering only a small amount of the country's public expenditure goes towards education. According to World Bank statistics, 2.9 per cent of Pakistan's GDP was spent on education in 2008, compared to 2.3 per cent in 2005. Though a slight increase, it's not substantial to meet the growing educational needs of the nation.

The authors of the World Bank report believe that the private and public sectors should work together to finance lifelong learning. “Governments need to finance lifelong learning for which social returns exceed private returns (for example, basic education). The private sector needs to play a role in financing investments for which private returns are high (for example, most higher and continuing education),” they write.

Critics may also question how the majority of Pakistanis will afford continuing education, especially since many encounter difficulties paying for basic education. Funding will surely be an issue for many low-income groups. The authors of the World Bank report write “Subsidies could be the main source of financing for low income learners. For high-income groups, most learning could take the form of income-contingent loans at market rates.”

According to Mr Inayatullah, chairman of the Pakistan Association for Continuing & Adult Education (PACADE), a national NGO for literacy and continuing education in Pakistan, more initiatives need to be undertaken to “influence stakeholders and decision makers at higher levels.”

Mr Inayatullah also believes distance education could make continuing education more accessible to the middleclass.

“One clear way to make such learning accessible is through distance education,” he writes in an email.

Distance education allows students to learn from the comfort of their homes or offices, enabling them to interact in online classrooms — thereby saving students' time and eliminating travel expenses usually associated with attending a class on campus.

I don't believe continuing education is a short-term solution to Pakistan's economic and social problems — rather it is a system that needs to be planned, developed, executed and tested through the years — if public education expenditures continue to rise at a steady rate. Having said that, our policymakers should begin investigating the social, cultural, political and economic ramifications of introducing continuing education programmes in universities and colleges in Pakistan.

We need to start thinking strategically and devise long-term plans, so that the majority, not the minority of our future generations have the skill set and aptitude to compete with other nations.

Continuing education will not only offer a chance to people who want to go back to learning, but will also offer a medium for people who are simply passionate about learning. Ultimately leading to a more educated and productive workforce, and in turn contributing to a much more prosperous society and economy.

The writer is a member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada.

ainem@canada.com