Public policy and implementation: education

Policy history

• Pakistan Educational Conference (1947), chaired by Fazlur Rahman, under Quaid-e-Azam's guidance.
• Commission on National Education (Sharif Commission, 1959).
• Education policies of 1970, 1972 (nationalization of private institutions), 1979, 1992, 1998–2010 and 2009.
• National Education Policy Framework (2018) and the Single National Curriculum (2020–21).
• The Higher Education Commission (2002) expanded universities and research.

Major programmes

• Free textbooks, stipends for girls and school meal programmes in some provinces.
• Education Sector Reforms and provincial reform roadmaps, such as the Punjab Education Sector Reform Programme.
• Public-private partnerships such as the Punjab Education Foundation and Sindh Education Foundation.
• BISP's education conditional cash transfers (Taleemi Wazaif).

Implementation challenges

• Low spending and poor use of allocated funds.
• Teacher absenteeism, political recruitment and weak training.
• Ghost schools, missing facilities, and gender gaps, especially in rural areas.
• Multiple education systems (public, private and madrasah) creating inequality.
• Poor learning outcomes: many children in grade five cannot read a simple story (ASER surveys).
• Frequent changes of policy and weak data.

Way forward

• Increase spending and protect education budgets.
• Merit-based teacher recruitment and continuous training.
• Focus on foundational literacy and numeracy.
• Girls' education through nearby schools, transport and stipends.
• Use data and technology for monitoring.

Conclusion

Education policy in Pakistan has suffered less from lack of good ideas than from weak implementation. Fulfilling Article 25A requires sustained investment and accountable school governance.