UNIVERSITY OF NAROWAL
ARTICLE NAME
Better Education
COURSE TITLE:
Civics& Community Engagement
SUBMITTED BY:
UMAY KALSOOM
SUBMITTED TO:
Mam Khansa
DATE OF SUBMISSION: 19-11-2025
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
Simple Steps to Better Education in Pakistan: An Analysis
Education is the most important tool for a country's success. Pakistan, a nation with a large youth
population, needs a strong education system to help its people and economy grow. While there
have been efforts to improve schools, many challenges remain that stop millions of children from
getting a good education. This article will look at the strengths, weaknesses, and necessary
changes for a better educational future in Pakistan.
Strong Points: What is Working?
Despite the many issues, there are positive aspects and opportunities in Pakistan's education
system:
1) Constitutional Right: Education is a fundamental right for children aged 5 to 16, as
stated in Article 25-A of the Constitution. This provides a legal basis to push for
universal education (Source 1.1).
2) High Enrollment in Private Sector: The private education sector is very large,
especially in cities, and often provides a better quality of education and better
infrastructure than many public schools. This helps meet the high demand for schooling
(Source 1.3).
3) Technology and E-Learning Potential: The increasing use of mobile phones and the
internet offers a great chance to use digital learning (e-learning) to reach students in
remote areas and train teachers (Source 1.2).
4) Government Support Programs: Programs like the Benazir Income Support
Programme (BISP) include education conditional cash transfers (stipends). This means
poor families get money if they send their children to school, helping to increase
enrollment, especially for girls (Source 1.4).
Weak Points: Where is the System Failing?
The education system in Pakistan faces several severe issues that hinder its progress:
1) Massive Number of Out-of-School Children (OOSC): Pakistan has one of the world's
highest numbers of OOSC, estimated at over 22 million. A large portion of these are girls
(Source 2.1).
2) Low Funding: The government spends very little on education, usually less than 2.5%
of the GDP, which is far below the recommended 4% to 6% (Source 2.3). This leads to
poor facilities and lack of resources.
3) Poor Quality of Teaching: Many teachers do not have the proper training or continuous
professional development (CPD). This results in teaching methods that rely too much on
rote memorization (learning by heart) instead of critical thinking and problem-solving.
4) Disparity and Fragmentation: The system is split between low-cost public schools,
expensive private schools, and madrassas (religious schools). This difference in quality
means children from poor families have very unequal opportunities compared to those
who can afford expensive private schooling .
Self-Opinion: What is the Most Important Change?
In my opinion, the most critical step for better education in Pakistan is a massive and sustained
increase in investment in teacher quality and training.
1) We need to stop focusing only on building new schools and start focusing on making
the teachers in existing schools excellent. A good teacher can teach effectively even
with limited resources, but poor teaching ruins the best facilities.
2) This means making teacher jobs more attractive with better salaries and benefits to
draw the best graduates. More importantly, it requires mandatory, practical training
that shows teachers how to use modern, engaging teaching methods that make
students think, question, and apply their knowledge, not just repeat it. Without better
teachers, all other reforms will have limited impact.
Overview: Core Areas for Future Reform
To achieve a strong education system, Pakistan must focus on three main areas:
Area of Reform Why It Matters Specific Action Needed
Funding & Ensures every child has a safe, Increase budget to 4% of GDP; upgrade
Infrastructure equipped place to learn. school buildings, especially in rural areas.
Ensures children actually Implement mandatory, high-quality
Quality &
learn valuable skills, not just professional training for all teachers;
Teaching
memorize facts. improve teacher pay.
Expand financial support/stipends for poor
Ensures no child is left behind
Access & Equity families; build more schools for girls in
due to poverty or gender.
remote areas.
Conclusion
Pakistan's journey towards better education is challenging, but not impossible. The problems are
clear: lack of money, poor quality, and unequal access. By making a firm national commitment
to increase spending and, crucially, by investing heavily in the quality of its teaching force,
Pakistan can transform its schools from institutions of rote learning into engines of critical
thinking and economic growth. This is the only path to a stable and prosperous future for the
country and its young people.
References
1. Pakistan Economic Survey 2022-2023: For data on education funding as a percentage
of GDP and overall literacy rates
2. UNESCO & UNICEF Reports on Out-of-School Children in Pakistan: For statistics
regarding the number of OOSC and gender disparity .
3. Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan: Legal basis for free and compulsory
education
4. World Bank/Asian Development Bank (ADB) Education Sector Analysis: For
information on teacher training gaps and Public-Private Partnerships
5. National Education Policy Documents: Official government papers detailing reform
goals and curriculum plans
6. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Documentation: Details on conditional
cash transfer programs for education