Who amongst us has not looked at a group photo, searching for our own face first? In Pakistan, even the most seemingly inclusive textbooks will feature tokenised representations of marginalised groups. This impacts school-going children at a psychosocial level, who are searching to see their own or familiar faces, and disappointed that they are not there.
Looking beyond the semantics of politically correct terms like tolerance, inclusivity, diversity, equity or pluralism, the question arises: what do these terms stand for in the context of student learning content in Pakistan? Is an inclusive textbook different than an otherwise effective textbook? We take a snapshot of how Pakistani society can gain from textbooks that feature diverse representations, such as the contribution of non-Muslims’ in the creation of Pakistan, an athlete with a disability who is a Special Olympics gold medallist, or a family where gender roles are assigned to reflect contemporary trends.
Slow Progress for Fairer Representation
In Pakistan’s education sector, the policy regarding textbook content is implemented by the provincial textbook boards by setting the guidelines for textbook authors and reviewing the submitted manuscripts. Before making it to the review committee, a manuscript must comply with a list of 6-7 mandatory requirements which shape how inclusive the content will be. Some of these include:
“Inclusive principle: The school textbooks and learning material promote gender equality, human rights, and respect for all.” – Sindh Policy Textbook and Learning Material
“The manuscript is free from all kinds of social, regional, cultural, religious, gender, ethnic and sectarian biases.” – Punjab Textbook Evaluation Proforma for Reviewers
The word ‘bias’ may be interpreted in two ways. A bias-free manuscript may be one that is free of offensive (or hate) content that tarnishes a marginalised religion, ethnicity, geographical area or group of individuals. Additionally, taken in a broader sense, ‘bias’ also implies omissions, or neglecting to realistically and positively mention marginalised groups, their culture, achievements and lifestyle choices.
In language textbooks, marginalised groups are unseen in stories, not shown as integrated in nor contributing to communities. History and Pakistan Studies textbooks have largely been purged with hate content, especially for minority religions. Civil society organisations such as Lahore-based Centre for Social Justice have contributed to this progress by identifying and reporting on such content while sensitising policy makers and civil society representatives by advocating for fairer representation.
However, learning content insufficiently and superficially representative of marginalised groups. This was elucidated by a civil society representative in DARE-RC’s Punjab Inclusivity workshop in 2024, who said that textbooks include arbitrary mention of marginalised communities and stop short of depicting social interactions across groups, for instance, between Muslims and followers of other religions, or between abled and differently abled persons. This critique holds for General Knowledge curriculum which poorly features content on multi-religious groups, their places of worship and festivities. We also see mentions of notable figures who belonged to marginalised groups, although inadequately as part of mere lists of heroes who fought for the struggle for Pakistan, and lists of national women leaders, among others.
Gender Bias in Assigning Roles
Another form of bias is based on gender discrimination. While there has been some improvement in the mention of female characters in textbooks, bias is present in how gender roles are assigned to characters. Mathematics and Science subject books need to embed more content which associates and includes female names in word problems to a larger extent than is currently seen. Language textbooks feature pictures of girls for verbs like ‘sitting’, ‘smelling’ while verbs like ‘skipping’ and kicking’ are reserved for boys. Girls are shown to be morally upright while naughtiness is reserved for boys, limiting possibilities for both boys and girls. This contributes to creating an imbalanced self-image for a child in terms of the ability to make morally upright choices, characterised by low expectations for boys and high expectations for girls that may increase feelings of guilt for girls when they are unable to meet these high standards. Similarly, characters from rural areas are depicted to be simple-minded and out-of-touch from the world outside.
Belongingness comes where you can be yourself. Transgenders don’t seem to belong at home, or at school. There is an environment-based dysphoria.
– Dr Sadya Salar, Sexually Transmitted Illnesses Specialist, Khwaja Sira Society, Lahore, Punjab.
Participants at the DARE-RC Inclusivity Workshop
Improving the Textbook Review Process
Government departments and provincial textbook boards have initiated steps towards inclusive textbooks by making the review process more inclusive through the addition of a sub-committee of experts from diverse religions in the review process. This was initiated in the Punjab province in 2023. The extent to which this group provided input and how well their feedback was incorporated in the proposed manuscripts remains unclear. However, the inclusion of diverse religious leaders is progress in the right direction.
Inclusive curriculum should be developed by engaging stakeholders from all marginalised groups whose inputs are important for forming implementation and policy for school curriculum.
– Muhammad Ayub, Advocate, Peshawar
| Subnational Discussions on Inclusivity in Education |
| The views presented here are based on insights gathered through the DARE-RC Inclusivity workshops organised across Pakistan in Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit Baltistan. Workshops involved consultative discussions with persons with disability activists, diverse faith activists, transgender rights activists, academics/researchers, textbook board representatives, lawyers, human rights experts, gender-based violence experts, health experts, and civil society organisations representatives. |
Inclusive Textbooks Improve Children’s Growth
Textbook authors struggle with incorporating a range of criteria within content knowledge: the product must be child-centred, SLO- based, relevant, pegged at the appropriate level for the grade level, has graphics to aid learning, and includes assessment tasks. The additional requirement to also make it inclusive may raise the question: Is it worth the effort, and are the textbooks not already inclusive enough?
CWD and transgender children will benefit from a sensitive and integrated treatment of disabilities and gender in the content taught in schools, and children from diverse faiths and ethnicities will experience acceptance when they see names like theirs in schoolbooks — but how will such content provide an avenue for children’s growth whose experiences are not in the margins?
Acceptance of PWDs and marginalised groups as complete human beings capable of social and economic contribution should be introduced at schools at a very basic level through curriculum or social interactions.
– Sanaa Ahmed, Programme Manager, Society for the Advancement of Education (SAHE)
Participants at the DARE-RC Inclusivity Workshop
- Learning About Diversity
Through inclusive textbooks, all children may be expected to become aware of and learn about individuals and communities different than themselves. Early exposure to a range of ethnicities, religions, cultures and other forms of diversity is important for children to thrive in and contribute towards multi-cultural communities.
- Teaching Compassion and Harmony
Participants at the DARE-RC Sindh Inclusivity workshop highlighted how children sharing classrooms with a child with Down Syndrome take on a protective role, especially during playground activities. In contrast lies an ‘othering’ of differently-abled individuals, leading to dehumanisation and possible violence. Diverse exposure at school will broaden children’s perspective on who they consider to be their ín-group, developing positive perceptions and acceptance of people different than them. This will lead to compassion and unity amongst diversity, resulting in good citizenship. When integrating CWDs, transgenders, and other marginalised children into formal education, inclusive textbooks are a ubiquitous means of creating a more harmonious society.
- Breaking Stereotypes
By doing away with stereotypical representations, textbooks can expand possibilities for everyone. These stereotypes may be age or gender based, for example, celebrating male heroes in a humane light will allow boys to accept their feelings and nurture their emotional intelligence, and showing female characters being naughty or errant instead of pristine and infallible will help girls to develop realistic self-perceptions. Depicting a CWD as a problem solver rather than a recipient of compassion will do wonders for the self-esteem of CWDs and inspire other children to realise their full potential.
For a more inclusive community, the first step is a change in attitudes and knowledge; then, the system can support the change.
– Aqeel Bashir, REEDs Foundation, RYK
- Teaching the Teacher
Inclusive textbooks may guide the teacher’s behaviour in a more nurturing direction, overriding some biases by inviting him/her to reflect. Many teachers struggle with basic subject knowledge and may not be expected to learn about various genders, ethnicities, and faiths. An activist from the Sikh community in the DARE-RC Balochistan Inclusivity workshop shared how his teacher instructed him to remove his steel bangle ‘kara’ since the teacher was not aware of its spiritual significance in the Sikh faith. Such incidents would be minimised by textbooks which created a more sensitive and accepting ethos.
- Teaching at the Right Level
During all the Inclusivity workshops (except Punjab), participants averred the need for an inclusive curriculum for all students that included targeted strategies to address learners’ varying needs. Inclusive content should be integrated to address the learning needs of all students not performing at the class level. Introducing supplementary reading material to bridge learning gaps while teaching at the right level will benefit children who are struggling due to factors like not comprehending the content, not following the language of instruction, working as labourers, or not having educated parents for guidance.
- Demand-Based Learning
Textbooks that are current in their knowledge and updated according to the changing world will prepare learners to inhabit that world. An academic from the Balochistan Inclusivity workshop expressed that learning content should encompass current socio-economic and technological knowledge, for example about high-tech professions required for mass infrastructural developments, such as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
- A Tool for Human Development
Inclusive textbooks will improve the emotional health of users, benefitting the larger community. Such textbooks will help learners from diverse backgrounds develop a positive self-image and fulfil their need for recognition. Such learning content will also help the class fellows of learners from marginalised communities to accept them and celebrate their uniqueness, fulfilling each group’s need for affiliation.
Inclusion is a cross-cutting theme in the DARE-RC project and one of the four key pillars of its research agenda: What works to improve drivers of learning for marginalised children in Pakistan? Click here to learn more about DARE-RC’s research priorities and areas.
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Author: Ayesha Fazlur Rahman (Inclusivity Lead, DARE-RC)
Editor: Maryam Beg Mirza (Assistant Consultant, Education at OPM)
Media Communications: Farhad Jarral (Communications Lead, DARE-RC)Quality Assurance: Dr Sahar Shah (Senior Research Manager, DARE-RC)
The views expressed in this blog are that of the author and do not reflect the views of DARE-RC, the FCDO, and implementing partners.
Researchers in the field may find themselves faced with an ethical responsibility: to respond if they gain knowledge of or witness direct harm to participants. The likelihood of such an instance is higher when conducting field work among vulnerable communities. Data and Research in Education – Research Consortium (DARE-RC) supports its research teams to be aware of and ready to respond to such challenges.
As part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) funded DARE-RC programme, several consortium-led and grant funded research studies are being commissioned in various parts of Pakistan. Research teams have been mobilised across all four provinces of Pakistan (Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh) as well as Gilgit Baltistan. Undertaking field research requires sensitivities to navigate and investigate within diverse communities across the country and necessitates having robust safeguarding policies and protocols in place to ensure no harm is done to participants.
All research teams are expected to follow stringent safeguarding requirements, such as going through the DARE-RC Safeguarding Training to ensure our presence, work and personnel are not causing harm, especially to children and vulnerable adults. Researchers are also obliged to be mindful of the power imbalance regarding the community or individuals in which they are engaging with including factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion and education background, etc.
| What do we mean by ‘safeguarding’? Safeguardingmeans taking all reasonable steps to prevent harm occurring to others as a result of the work that we do, promoting the welfare of vulnerable people, and protecting those who are at risk from harm. Vulnerable people typicallyinclude children and young people under the age of 18, and any person who may be considered vulnerable because of their age, a physical or mental disability or due to other circumstances. See Oxford Policy Management ‘s (OPM) Policy on Safeguarding of Vulnerable Persons to learn more about OPM and DARE-RC’s approach to safe and ethical research practices. |
The aim is to prevent all forms of harm from occurring in the first place. Safeguarding measures also work to ensure that a victim/survivor-centred approach is taken whereby proper response and action measures are executed when incidents do arise or come to our attention.
What is Included in DARE-RC’s Safeguarding Training Packet?
The Safeguarding Packet is made up of several relevant OPM standard policies, the DARE-RC Safeguarding Handbook, DARE-RC Safeguarding Training slides, various key fieldwork resources (i.e. consent forms, tips for fieldworkers, safeguarding community contact sheet, and incident report form), the Risk Assessment Tool template and other materials. It is expected that all research and data collection personnel review these documents prior to commencing fieldwork.
Consent Is Key
For ethical purposes, it is essential that all participants provide consent prior to being interviewed or included in a research study. The consent forms must use accessible and sensitive language and cater to the specific target population. In the case of young children and individuals with lower literacy levels, verbal assent can be obtained as well. It is important to note, while confidentiality is fundamental, it does not override our duty to protect the participants in case of any reported misconduct.
How to Handle Incidents?
While in the field, we may be trusted by vulnerable people with information related to incidents of harm, abuse or neglect that they feel can be brought to our attention which may not be directly related to our work. Instead, we come to know about them by virtue of our presence in the community. We may even witness harm done to children or vulnerable adults during fieldwork or hear about/witness harm done by a fellow colleague. How do we, as researchers, respond in the face of such incidents? Listening attentively without judgement, logging relevant information in the incident report form and following the incident reporting procedures without taking matters into our own hands is important for the safety and wellbeing of the researchers, individuals reporting incidents and the respective victim(s).
Not only do we have a moral obligation to report incidents of harm, but we also have a contractual obligation to do so. Ultimately, our work aims to improve lives. Safeguarding is our responsibility considering that vulnerable people do not always have the power or skills to protect themselves.
Furthermore, DARE-RC has developed a Support and Referral Network in Pakistan that we may utilise when needed. It is made up of NGOs and government entities working on human rights, child protection and women’s rights issues providing awareness, legal and psychosocial support as well as shelter facilities.
Want to Learn More?
Numerous global resources and standards are available for organisations working in the humanitarian, aid and development sectors. A few include Keeping Children Safe, the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub and the CHS Alliance.
Keeping Children Safe sets International Child Safeguarding Standards (The International Child Safeguarding Standards – Keeping Children Safe) to help organisations protect children from abuse. One of the requirements for all research teams working under DARE-RC is to complete the Risk Assessment Tool developed by KCS to identify potential risks (i.e. regarding cultural norms, data collection, questionnaire design, data protection, staff, etc.) to vulnerable people related to our work and develop mitigation strategies to address them.
Additionally, the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub (Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub) is a programme that aims to strengthen safeguarding policies and practices against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) of organisations working in the aid sector. A valuable resource they provide is a safeguarding training which is available in several languages to enhance accessibility. The CHS Alliance (CHS Alliance), a global alliance of humanitarian and development organisations committed to making aid work better for people, is leading an initiative funded by FCDO called the SEAH Harmonised Reporting Scheme (alongside the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Action). This aims to increase reporting of incidents by supporting NGOs and private sector organisations in collecting and reporting SEAH incidents in a more uniform way. It is currently being piloted. From April 2024 – September 2024, 178 incidents were reported by the SEAH Harmonised Reporting Scheme (HRS) participating organisations with 63% of incidents being against aid recipients and their communities and 37% of incidents against staff members.
Taken From: SEAH HARMONISED REPORTING SCHEME (HRS): Insights on Sexual Exploitation, Abuse & Harassment (SEAH) incidents against aid recipients and their community.
Ultimately, the goal behind safe and ethical research practices is to treat individuals and communities with dignity and respect and particularly promote the welfare of vulnerable people by putting them at the centre of our programme design and implementation.
Click here to learn more about DARE-RC’s research priorities and areas.
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Authors: Jasmine Abraham (Former – Consultant, Education at OPM) and Dr Monazza Aslam (Research Director, DARE-RC)
Editor: Maryam Beg Mirza (Assistant Consultant, Education at OPM)
Designer: Farhad Jarral (Communications Lead, DARE-RC).
Quality Assurance: Dr Sahar Shah (Research Manager, DARE-RC)
The views expressed in this blog are that of the author and do not reflect the views of DARE-RC, the FCDO, and implementing partners.
Schools and communities are on the frontline of the climate crisis in Pakistan. Floods, drought and heat waves impact children’s learning, with schools closing when disaster strikes. The absence of support and encouragement from the government to identify and build on local strengths and experiences has emerged in a DARE-RC study in schools in Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh; highlighting the need to ensure this relevant experience and knowledge is not overlooked. This study focuses on generating contextually grounded evidence on what resilient education means for adolescents, their teachers, education authorities and communities in Pakistan.
Community-led insights
In an era marked by unprecedented global challenges, the impact of climate change on local communities and the resilience of education systems to cope has become an area of critical focus. Education is vital for enhancing our ability to mitigate and adapt to these changes. The climate crisis requires that we – as education researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers critically evaluate and improve policies to ensure resilient, inclusive education for all. Past solutions may no longer be effective, necessitating more ambitious and comprehensive approaches to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change on education systems and communities.
To address the climate crisis within the shrinking window for action, we need to radically transform education systems to change mindsets and paradigms that go beyond broad, general principles and consider local contexts and lived experiences. Community-led insights are key to driving these changes and to shaping policy frameworks.
In recent years, the importance of community-led insights in shaping policy frameworks has gained significant recognition. Communities on the frontline of climate impacts have the most intimate understanding of their vulnerabilities, making them best suited to design and implement practical, sustainable, and inclusive solutions. Similarly, community-led climate and education actions lead to significant improvements in education quality and accountability. By placing citizens at the core of decision-making, policies are more reflective of the true needs and aspirations of the community.
Hence, we need schools and local communities to be the focal point for local adaptation to the climate crisis, with students and community members empowered to play significant roles in decisions that directly influence their lives. Building on people’s lived experiences and how they relate to climate change is crucial – not only for more effective policy development, but also for finding solutions that do not exacerbate existing inequalities.
Policies that fail to account for local contexts and vulnerabilities have been documented to be ineffective or even harmful, undermining efforts to address climate change. For example, Pakistan’s National Water Policy (2018) and large-scale water management project that prioritises centralised irrigation systems have been criticised for not adequately addressing the needs of small-scale framers and the unique hydrological conditions of specific regions. Community-led insights are crucial for driving climate policy change and creating more effective and equitable solutions, resulting in long-term sustainability.
Involving schools and communities
Effective climate action is not just about political and policy decisions. It is also about behavioural change at community and individual level. And education is not just about the right policies and curriculum, nor it is confined to the walls of a classroom: it is a collective effort involving teachers, students, families, and the broader community.
Communities and schools play a pivotal role in maintaining robust, adaptable, and resilient education services. As community hubs, schools can promote collaboration, equity, and shared responsibility, ensuring learning continues during extreme climate and environmental events.
Building resilient education systems presents several challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities, affecting over 1.6 billion learners globally. Key challenges include ensuring equitable access to education, especially in low and lower-middle-income countries, and developing effective hybrid learning systems. Individual actions matter: by adopting sustainable practices like reducing energy consumption, choosing sustainable products, supporting green infrastructure in school and advocating for climate action at local level students can contribute to a more resilient future.
Bridging local solutions and system-level reforms
Most climate adaptation planning still occurs at the international and national levels, with local institutions and actors participating on the margins as beneficiaries rather than as agents of change. This gap in participation is a major cause for ineffective policy implementation for system change and persists despite considerable efforts to develop new approaches.
To help bridge this gap, several approaches can be employed. One is the use of participatory community-level multisectoral collaboration sustained beyond individual projects. Evidence shows that community-level participatory (or bottom-up) initiatives in agenda setting, service design, delivery, and systems strengthening can lead to policy adaptation (see Ding et al., 2023 and Suarai et al., 2024 for more evidence). Shifting from traditional top-down approaches fosters ownership and inclusivity, empowering communities with greater agency. This results in policy adaptations in line with the local setting (see Rahaman et al., 2023). In this approach, context, power equality, and parity in voice and agency matter. Implementation involves collaborative bargaining rather than the explicit control of higher-level decision makers.
Since the impacts of climate change on education are experienced at the local level first, employing a bottom-up approach gives us a better understanding of people’s contextual realities and better supports sustainable system reform.
Resilience begins with local voices
Addressing the climate crisis demands a radical transformation of our education systems to foster resilience and adaptability. This transformation should be driven by community-led insights and participatory approaches that bridge the gap between local solutions and system-level reforms, leading to policy changes that are more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to local needs.
Generating evidence on lived experiences and how they relate to climate change is fundamental for effective policy development and implementation. Failure to put the lived experiences and perspectives of learners and local communities at the core of decision-making processes will result in policies that do not reflect the true needs and aspirations of the community.
The urgency of the climate crisis demands ambitious solutions that go beyond traditional policies and programmes. By exploring how schools and communities can develop agency and be supported to create effective solutions to address local needs, researchers and policymakers can help make sure education remains a powerful tool for mitigating and adapting to global challenges.
Resilient education service delivery is one of the four key pillars of DARE-RC’s research agenda: What works to develop continuity of resilient education service delivery through improving systems coherence? Click here to learn more about DARE-RC’s research priorities and areas.
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Author: Dr Sapana Basnet (Senior Research Associate, Sightsavers & Thematic Lead, DARE-RC)
Copy-Editor: Maryam Beg Mirza (Assistant Consultant, Education at OPM)
Quality Assurance: Dr Sahar Shah (Research Manager, DARE-RC)
The views expressed in this blog are that of the author and do not reflect the views of DARE-RC, the FCDO, and implementing partners.
This blog was written by Ha Yeon Kim, Senior Advisor, and Monazza Aslam, Research Director, Data and Research in Education Research Consortium (DARE-RC) in Pakistan.
Pakistan just has become the ground zero for one of the world’s largest public school outsourcing experiments. In three phases, the Government of Punjab plans to transfer nearly 14,000 public schools—approximately 30% of all its schools—to NGOs and private operators via Punjab Education Foundation (PEF). This bold initiative aims to fix the broken education system, riddled with a long list of problems, including inefficient school management, poor infrastructure, outdated curricula, teacher shortages, millions of out-of-school children, and poor learning outcomes.
But can this bold move deliver on its promises? The stakes are high, and so are the concerns. Critics have warned of hidden costs, potential decline in quality due to cost-cutting measures, lack of accountability and oversight, and risk of exclusion of the most marginalised populations and communities.
Whilst Pakistan has a long history of engaging in different types of public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements, the sheer scale of outsourcing in Punjab is unprecedented. The evidence to back such reform at a staggering scale is, at best, limited. Globally, research on outsourcing public schools—typically where a private provider takes over the management of a government school—shows inconsistent impacts. For example, Liberia’s school outsourcing experiment improved student learning outcomes but came at the cost of excluding marginalised groups like more disadvantaged girls and students from overcrowded schools. It also exceeded the projected per-pupil budget by more than double.
Closer to home, there are very few available high quality studies that examine the direct impacts of this type of PPP arrangement. The handful of studies that do exist have shown no significant improvements in student learning outcomes. Similarly, research on various other forms of PPP in Pakistan—including school subsidies, school vouchers, and new schools in marginalised communities—has shown modest impacts in increasing access in certain cases, with little to no effects elsewhere.
The presumed advantage of private school management also seems uncertain. Research on the “private school premium” in Pakistan has shown that the quality of education in private schools wildly varies, and so does the added value of private schooling on student outcomes. Given the scale of Punjab’s outsourcing policy, this variability is likely to be amplified, posing a critical challenge: ensuring consistent quality across thousands of schools managed by diverse operators.
What will it take for success?
To make this ambitious reform work at scale, Punjab must address key challenges from the outset. Based on existing evidence, the following would be important considerations for the PEF and the Punjab government:
- Equity is not optional. Robust safeguards must be built into contracts as well as in the monitoring and evaluation process to protect marginalised groups. This could include guaranteed enrolment quotas for underserved communities and targeted support for marginalised children.
- Cost expectations should be realistic. Quality education does not come cheap, and achieving efficiency takes time. Both Liberia’s experience and early Punjab data show expenses exceeding projections. Budgeting for 150-200% of the initial estimates, at least for the first year, may be necessary.
- Active oversight is key. Outsourcing does not mean hands-off. Proactive oversight and monitoring to enforce the minimum quality standards and safeguards are requirements, not an option.
- Transparency trumps expediency. Transparent bidding processes, equitable school selection criteria, and financial accountability measures are critical for maintaining public trust—especially for such large-scale privatisation efforts.
- Standardisation matters. Private operators must align with public school curricula and standards. Misalignment could result in poor outcomes, with teachers and students bearing the brunt. The government must ensure that curricular standards are met and that teachers are well-qualified and adequately trained.
- Communities must be engaged. Building trust with local communities is vital. Operators should involve teachers, parents, and local leaders in decision-making processes to foster ownership and support.
A path forward for Punjab
Punjab’s school outsourcing policy is a bold attempt to transform its struggling education system through innovation and public-private collaboration. While the initiative holds promise—particularly for increasing access—it also carries significant risks, especially for marginalised children and communities often overlooked in large-scale reforms.
To succeed, policymakers must adopt a proactive approach that prioritises equity and inclusion, ensures rigorous oversight to uphold quality, and actively engages stakeholders, including marginalised communities. Private operators must be held accountable not only for outcomes but also for their efforts to reach and serve the most vulnerable populations.
This is more than an experiment—it is an opportunity to redefine education delivery in Pakistan. By learning from global experiences and tailoring solutions to its unique context, Punjab can set an example for others facing similar challenges. Success will hinge on thoughtful and inclusive execution, requiring commitment from both private operators and policymakers to ensure no child is left behind in this transformation.
The views expressed in this blog are that of the author and do not reflect the views of DARE-RC, the FCDO, and implementing partners.
This blog was written by Monazza Aslam, Research Director, and Ha Yeon Kim, Senior Advisor, Data and Research in Education Research Consortium (DARE-RC) in Pakistan.
Pakistan stands at a critical juncture in its education history
In May 2024, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, declared an ‘Education Emergency’ across Pakistan. This declaration comes at perhaps the most critical juncture in Pakistan’s educational history – with 26 million children out of school and a country ranked as the 8th most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In 2022, Pakistan endured one of the most devastating climate disasters in its history: catastrophic floods that submerged one-third of the country, directly affecting over 33 million people, including 16 million children. More than 30,000 schools were damaged or destroyed, halting educational continuity and leaving marginalised children—especially girls, those with disabilities, and those from underserved regions like Balochistan and Sindh—disproportionately vulnerable. This tragedy , following very soon after the global Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, exposed the fragility of Pakistan’s education system, highlighting its inability to withstand systemic inequities and external shocks.
At the same time, a deeper learning crisis persists. In 2023, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) revealed that only 55 per cent of grade 5 students could read a simple Urdu story, and just 48 per cent could solve a basic two-digit division problem. These sobering figures reflect persistent and entrenched inequities and inefficiencies in the education system of the country. These are further exacerbated by decentralised governance structures and weak accountability mechanisms. Marginalised groups, especially in remote areas, remain at a stark disadvantage, perpetuating cycles of educational exclusion.
This dual crisis—the systemic inequities and vulnerability to shocks—underscores the urgent need for transformative, evidence-based reforms that ensure access to meaningful learning opportunities for all children.
DARE-RC is shaping the future of Pakistan’s education
The Data and Research in Education – Research Consortium (DARE-RC) is tackling these challenges head-on. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), DARE-RC is a 30-month programme that collaborates with policymakers, civil society organisations, academics, and the research community to co-create and deliver a demand-led research agenda. The programme’s focus is to uncover what works, why it works, and how it can be scaled to create an education system that delivers access, quality, continuity, and coherence—especially for Pakistan’s most marginalised children.
Four research areas: Tackling Pakistan’s most pressing education challenges
- Improving drivers of learning for marginalised children
Despite constitutional guarantees of free and compulsory education under Article 25-A, systemic barriers persist for marginalised groups. For example, in flood-affected areas of Sindh, families often pull girls out of school to manage household chores, compounding existing gender disparities. DARE-RC’s research investigates the lived experiences and perspectives of the marginalised children in Pakistan, and identifies and tests alternative education delivery models—such as community-based education and public-private partnerships—to bridge these gaps and ensure equitable learning opportunities.
- Strengthening front-line education provision quality
At the heart of any education system are its teachers and school leaders. Yet, many in Pakistan face challenges such as inadequate professional development, particularly for multi-grade or multilingual classrooms. DARE-RC supports research on innovative teaching approaches and teacher workforce management policies and practices that reflect the diverse reality and needs of Pakistan’s classrooms.
- Resilient education service delivery
Pakistan’s education system is highly vulnerable to climate shocks, as demonstrated by the 2022 floods. DARE-RC explores strategies to maintain educational continuity during such crises. This includes from integrating climate education into school curricula to preparing schools and communities for unforeseen climate disasters with evidence- and data-driven policies and practices. Ensuring safe and continuous learning environments for all children is central to this effort.
- Accountable education systems
A lack of transparency and accountability often impedes progress in education reforms. DARE-RC focuses on understanding the political and administrative barriers that prevent effective policy implementation. For example, decentralisation reforms, such as Sindh’s School Clustering Policy (2021), aim to empower local communities but often face challenges in resource allocation and accountability. DARE-RC focuses on understanding these barriers and leveraging school monitoring systems and governance reforms to drive meaningful improvements.
Cross-cutting themes: Amplifying impact
DARE-RC’s research agenda is guided by two cross-cutting themes to amplify its impact of the research on four priority areas:
- Effective data use: Equipping decision-makers to have access to actionable, high-quality data to identify disparities and drive improvements in Pakistan’s diverse education landscape.
- Scalable solutions: Identifying and scaling promising programmes, strategies, and policies to deliver high-quality education to all children, particularly the most marginalised.
A vision for holistic transformation of Pakistan’s education system
As Pakistan rebuilds from the devastating floods and confronts persistent education challenges, initiatives like DARE-RC hold the promise of driving transformative change. Now more than ever, investing in research and evidence-based policymaking is essential to build an education system resilient to shocks and inclusive of all children.
DARE-RC envisions a future where every child in Pakistan, regardless of gender, location, disability, religion, or socioeconomic background, has access to high-quality education. By addressing systemic barriers, scaling successful interventions, and leveraging evidence-based practices, DARE-RC is driving systematic change to reshape Pakistan’s education landscape. Through its collaborative, data-driven approach, the programme aspires to build a resilient, inclusive, and equitable education system capable of delivering meaningful learning outcomes for generations to come.
Together, with research, innovation, and collaboration, DARE-RC is not just responding to Pakistan’s education crisis—it is transforming its future.
The views expressed in this blog are that of the author and do not reflect the views of DARE-RC, the FCDO, and implementing partners.