By utilizing the services of retired individuals, the shortage of human resources can be addressed.
In Pakistan, we have been hearing for a long time about discussions on increasing the retirement age limit in government institutions by 2, 3, or 5 years. However, this long-standing debate and proposal have not yet led to any conclusion.
Many people I know have continued working until the age of 60, believing that they would not retire and would benefit from the government proposal, allowing them to extend their employment a little longer.
There is a common opinion that the rule of retiring government employees at 60 years of age has its merits because, at this age, people tend to lose efficiency, or in other words, their minds stop working effectively, making it difficult to perform job duties. Some joke that even before reaching 60, many employees may not perform their duties well, so whether the retirement age is decreased or increased beyond 60, it makes little difference.
There’s also an opinion that several prominent individuals managing large institutions in Pakistan are over 60. If they can be of service post-retirement, why should they retire only to be rehired with additional benefits?
Some years ago, someone told me about Japan, where retired individuals volunteer in their former departments or other needed sectors, providing the government with a workforce that helps address the human resource shortage, while keeping these individuals active instead of sitting idle at home.
A similar project has also started in China.
In China, the average life expectancy has increased over the past decade and now exceeds 78 years. It is expected to reach 80 years by 2035. Given this, one could imagine that if the average life expectancy is over 78 years, a Chinese citizen would still be quite healthy at 60, and this is indeed the case.
China’s parks and tourist spots provide evidence that here, the saying “Age is just a number” holds true.
Taking advantage of this healthy workforce, the Chinese government launched a project in 2018 to employ retired teachers to improve the standard of rural education.
Initially, the Chinese government recruited 20,000 retired primary and middle school teachers for their action plan up to November 2023, and this year, they plan to employ 7,000 retired teachers in underdeveloped regions. This initiative is mainly for retired principals, teaching staff, and experienced teachers up to the age of 65.
The recruited teaching professionals will work in schools in ethnic minority communities, towns, and rural areas, as well as in border and remote regions where educational resources are scarce. The goal of this program is to strengthen the country’s education system.
Through another special program, approximately 10,000 retired principals and teachers have been engaged to teach in rural primary and middle schools, with plans to add 4,500 new retired principals and teachers this year.
Such programs have also extended to universities in remote and underdeveloped areas. 146 retired last year professors and associate professors from the country’s top universities were employed to teach at four universities in western regions. This year, the program expanded to include 300 retired teachers in 10 western universities. These retired teachers and professors can receive an additional annual subsidy of 20,000 yuan ($3,100) from the government.
By initiating several similar programs, China has developed a system like those in developed countries, effectively utilizing human resources. They have created a successful model to raise the standard of education and ensure access to education for every child in remote and underprivileged areas.
Every year, many young Pakistanis come to China for education, many businesspeople for trade, and officials to fulfill their duties. They are often amazed by China’s progress. But the surprising question is why policymakers and implementers in Pakistan don’t recognize or adopt these seemingly small initiatives, especially when there is no shortage of volunteers and people willing to serve the nation.
What is needed now is not more plans but their implementation, as there are urgent needs for revolutionary reforms not only in education but also in health and other sectors.
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