Education remains a crucial driver of human development and economic growth in Pakistan. Investments in learning strengthen human capital, enhance productivity, and expand opportunities for innovation and inclusive progress. Article 25-A of the Constitution guarantees free and compulsory education for all children aged five to sixteen, while Article
A recent federal government report on public financing in education contains embarrassing data on the low bar that we have set for the word ‘educated’, as some 77% of 10-year-olds surveyed across the country could not read or understand a simple text. Put another way, it means at
What do we mean when we call someone a “juvenile delinquent”? Is it merely a legal label, or does it reflect deeper social anxieties about youth, morality, and order? In legal terms, a juvenile is a person under the age of eighteen. Juvenile delinquency refers to criminal or
Every few years in Pakistan, madrassahs return to the headlines as if they are a new discovery. A tragedy occurs. A security report is published. A political speech is delivered. And once again, the debate collapses into accusation and denial. There are few words in Pakistan’s public life
Girls’ education statistics have shown remarkable improvements over the past few years, but, unfortunately, given the extremely weak starting point, they are still well off the mark for a nation that hopes to create a socioeconomic miracle. The Federal Ministry of Education and Technical Training’s Girls’ Education Statistics
PESHWAR: Every day, 15-year-old Mashal Khan, a sixth-grade student, walks three kilometres from his home to his government high school in Jalala. The journey takes him longer than other children and is especially arduous because he was born with disability in both feet. “It is very difficult for
The teacher was halfway through explaining a lesson when she suddenly stopped. A piece of chalk slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor as her eyes fixed on a child sitting in the corner of the classroom. The boy had begun rocking his chair back and
LAST week Abu Dhabi hosted the ‘Machines Can Think 2026’ conference. Given the region’s enthusiastic embrace of AI, the availability of resources for ambitious approaches, and the openness to pursue them, I was most interested in one particular panel discussion session, titled ‘AI Classroom — Rethinking Education for
WHEN I look back on my years of education — K-12 to university — and across cultures, and think of the good or outstanding teachers I had — and I did have some — among the many traits of such teachers, the one I find seldom talked about
JUST when we thought Pakistan had made meaningful progress and the debate on child marriage was nearly settled, a spanner has been thrown into the spokes of reform. Four years after the Federal Shariat Court’s ruling in 2021 that setting a minimum marriage age is not in contradiction
LAHORE: Railway stations across Pakistan are increasingly becoming refuge points for children fleeing troubled homes, as poverty, domestic tensions, corporal punishment, and the influence of social media push minors onto the streets. According to official data shared by Pakistan Railways Police, 658 children, including 413 boys and 245
Education is one of the most powerful tools for national development. It shapes individuals, builds nations and strengthens societies. A strong education system creates skilled human capital, promotes economic growth and develops a sense of equality and social justice. In Pakistan, however, education has been a subject of