At a session organised by the Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) and the Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan (PILAP), experts gathered to discuss Pakistan’s long-standing education issues, focusing on access, quality, and equity.
The event kicked off with the launch of Dr. Faisal Bari’s book “Educational Conundrums of Pakistan”, followed by a thought-provoking fireside chat with author Dr. Bari and Maroof A. Syed.
The conversation centered around the entrenched failures within Pakistan’s education system, including the weak enforcement of Article 25-A, the culture of rote learning, exclusionary curricula, and systemic neglect.
The panel discussion, moderated by Maroof Syed, featured key figures such as Dr. Amjad Waheed, CEO of NBP Fund Management, and Dr. Faisal Bari, Vice Chancellor at the National Institute of Technology.
They examined critical themes ranging from the effectiveness of public interest litigation and the fragmentation of education governance to the risks of increasing privatisation and elite capture.
“Even though everyone agrees that Education is an important public policy issue, quality and equitable access to education remain intractable challenges” said Maroof A. Syed in his opening remarks. “We need a renewed social contract that elevates education from a hackneyed policy discussion to a political and civic demand.”
Dr Faisal Bari raised urgent concerns about equity, exclusion, and institutional inertia. “We can’t just talk about access; we must interrogate who is being left behind and why,” he stated. “Without quality and accountability, the system will continue to produce inequity by design.”
Dr Amjad Waheed offered insight from PILAP’s public interest perspective. “Article 25-A gives us a constitutional tool, but laws alone don’t guarantee justice. This is why institutions like PILAP are crucial for citizen engagement to hold the policymakers accountable,” he emphasised.
The event concluded with a commitment to leverage research, litigation, and civic engagement to transform education from a right promised to a right realized, ensuring that quality education reaches all, not just the privileged few.
PILAP, a non-profit organization, focuses on securing citizens’ constitutional rights through public interest litigation and policy advocacy, especially in education, health, and governance sectors.
