At a joint session organized by the Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) and the Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan (PILAP), education experts gathered to address Pakistan’s long-standing challenges in access, quality, and equity in schooling.
The session opened with the launch of Dr Faisal Bari’s book Educational Conundrums of Pakistan, followed by a conversation between the author and moderator Maroof A Syed. The discussion brought attention to systemic failures such as the weak enforcement of Article 25-A, the widespread reliance on rote memorization, discriminatory curricula, and the chronic neglect of educational institutions.
A panel discussion, moderated by Syed, featured leading voices including Dr Amjad Waheed, CEO of NBP Fund Management, and Dr Faisal Bari, Vice Chancellor of the National Institute of Technology (NIT). The conversation explored several critical issues, including the role of public interest litigation, the fragmented nature of education governance, the risks of unchecked privatization, and the influence of elites in policymaking.
Maroof Syed called for a renewed social contract to move education from political rhetoric to a real public demand. Dr Bari highlighted the dangers of structural inequity and urged that the system be held accountable for who it leaves out and why. Dr Waheed emphasized that constitutional guarantees alone are insufficient, and that civic action is crucial to enforce educational rights.
The session concluded with a collective commitment to merge research, legal advocacy, and civic engagement in order to turn the right to education into a lived reality for all, not just the privileged. As Dr Bari noted, to create real balance, public education in Pakistan must be elevated—if only to establish a minimum standard.
Related: Need for Globally Competitive and Future-ready Universities
Now is the time to act. Every child in Pakistan deserves quality education—not as a favor, but as a fundamental right.