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English to Urdu: National Education Policy Pakistan 2009 General field: Social Sciences Detailed field: Education / Pedagogy
Source text - English
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY
2009
Ministry of Education
Government of Pakistan
November, 2009.
Acknowledgements
The Ministry of Education acknowledges the work and input of all provincial and area
governments for development of the National Education Policy. In fact the document reflects the
commonalities culled from the advice and input of the governments of all the federating units as
well as members of civil society, Universities, experts of MoE & provincial/area Education
departments, education managers, specialists, academia, teachers, students, parents, and a host of
other stakeholders including line ministries, Higher Education Commission (HEC), National
Vocational and Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC), Institute for Educational
Development- Aga Khan University (IED-AKU), Academy of Educational Planning and
Management (AEPAM), Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) and Pakistan
Engineering Council (PEC).
iii
C O N T E N T S
INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 1 3
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY: OVERARCHING CHALLENGES&DEFICIENCIES:
THEIR CAUSES AND THEWAY FORWARD 3
1.1 Background 3
1.2 The Demographic Transition 3
1.3 Uniformity and Confidence in Public Education System 3
1.4 Globalization and Competitiveness 5
1.5 Social Exclusion and Social Cohesion 5
1.6 Setting Standards for Education 6
1.7 Dovetailing Government Initiatives 6
1.8 Leveraging International Development Partnerships 7
1.9 Major Deficiencies 7
1.10 Understanding System Deficiencies 7
1.10.1 The Commitment Gap 7
1.10.2 The Implementation Gap 8
1.11 The Way Forward: A Paradigm Shift 8
CHAPTER 2 9
FILLING THE COMMITMENT GAP: SYSTEM VALUES, PRIORITIES AND RESOURCES 9
2.1 Educational Vision and Performance 9
2.2 A Reaffirmation of Educational Vision 9
2.3 Aims and Objectives 10
2.4 Overarching Priorities: Widening Access and Raising Quality 11
2.5 Mobilising Resources for Education 13
CHAPTER 3 15
FILLING THE IMPLEMENTATION GAP: ENSURING GOOD GOVERNANCE 15
3.1 Developing a Whole-of-Sector View 15
3.2 Ensuring Policy Coherence 15
3.3 Overcoming Fragmented Governance 16
3.4 Bridging the Public-Private Divide 17
3.5 Overcoming Structural Divides 19
3.6 Building Management and Planning Capacity 21
3.7 Getting the Community Involved 22
CHAPTER 4 23
ISLAMIC EDUCATION 23
4.1 Islamic Education: Duty of the Society and the State 23
CHAPTER 5 27
BROADENING THE BASE AND ACHIEVING ACCESS 27
5.1 Early Childhood Education (ECE) 27
iv
5.2 Elementary Education 28
5.3 Secondary and Higher Secondary Education 28
5.4 Literacy and Non-Formal Learning 30
5.5 Education in Emergencies 32
CHAPTER 6 33
RAISING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION 33
6.1 Improving Teacher Quality 33
6.2 Curriculum Reform 35
6.3 Quality in Textbooks and Learning Materials 37
6.4 Improving Student Assessment 38
6.5 Attaining Standards in the Learning Environment 39
6.6 Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular Activities 40
6.7 Matching with the Employment Market 41
CHAPTER 7 43
STRENGTHENING SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION 43
7.1 Technical Education and Vocational Training 43
7.2 Possible Strategies 45
CHAPTER 8 47
HIGHER EDUCATION 47
8.1 Challenges 47
8.2 Strategic Vision 48
CHAPTER 9 53
IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK 53
9.1 Objective 53
9.2 Policy as a Living Adaptable Document 53
9.3 IPEM to Oversee Progress 54
9.4 Provincial Autonomy and Ownership 55
9.5 Role of Development Partners 55
ANNEX: I 57
THE STATE OF PAKISTAN’S EDUCATION 57
A. Access to Educational Opportunities 57
B. Equity in Education 58
B1. The Gender Dimension 58
B2. The Rural-Urban Divide 59
B3. Provincial and Area Disparities 59
C. Quality of Provision 60
D. The Resource Commitment 62
E. Structure of Education: Public-Private Provision 62
v
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
AKU Aga Khan University MTDF Medium Term Development Framework
B. Ed. Bachelor of Education
NAVTEC
National Vocational & Technical
Education Commission
B. Sc. Bachelor of Science
NCHD
National Commission for Human
Development
B. A. Bachelor of Arts
NEAS National Education Assessment System
Dip.
Ed
Diploma in Education
NEC National Education Census
DEO District Education Officer NEF National Education Foundation
DPI Director of Public Instructions NEMIS
National Education Management
Information System
ECE Early Childhood Education NEP National Education Policy
EDO Executive District Officer NEPR National Education Policy Review
EFA Education for All NER Net Enrolment Ratio
EMIS
Educational Management and
Information System
NFBE Non Formal Basic Education
EOY End of Year
NFE Non- Formal Education
FATA
Federally Administered Tribal
Areas
NQF National Qualifications Framework
FMIS
Financial Management Information
System
NWFP North West Frontier Province
FTI Fast Track Initiative
OECD
Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development
GCI Global Competitive Index P&P Policy and Planning (Wing)
GDP Gross Domestic Product PEACE Provincial Education Assessment Centre
GER Gross Enrolment Ratio PEC Pakistan Engineering Council
GMR Global Monitoring Report Ph. D. Doctor of Philosophy
GoP Government of Pakistan
PISA
Programme for International Student
Assessment
GPI Gender Parity Index PM&DC Pakistan Medical and Dental Council
HDI Human Development Index PMIS
Personnel Management Information
System
HDR Human Development Report PPP Public Private Partnerships
vi
HEC Higher Education Commission PTA Parent Teachers Association
HIV/
AIDs
Human Immunodeficiency
Virus/Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome
PTR Pupil-Teacher Ratio
HRD Human Resource Development
R&D Research and Development
ICT Islamabad Capital Territory
SIP School Improvement Plan
ICTs
Information Communication
Technologies
SMC School Management Committee
IED
Institute for Educational
Development (AKU)
STEPS
Students, Teachers, Educationists, Parents
and Society
IPEMC
Inter-Provincial Education
Ministers' Conference
TIMSS
Trends in International Mathematics and
Science Study
LGOs Local Government Ordinances
TVE Technical & Vocational Education
LSBE Life Skills-Based Education
UN United Nations
MDA Mid-Decade assessment
UNDP United Nations Development Program
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization
MoE Ministry of Education UPE Universal Primary Education
MoSW
&SE
Ministry of Social Welfare and
Special Education
USAID
United States Agency for International
Development
MSP
Minimum Standard of Provision WB World Bank
vii
PREFACE
In 62 years of its existence, Pakistan’s achievements in education have been much below
potential and far behind the world around it. The low educational achievements have been a
source of worry for all concerned Pakistanis. Poor educational indicators mean that Pakistan’s
development progress remains slow. The present government shares the concerns of all Pakistanis
in this regard and the current policy document comes out as an important starting point laying out
a national agenda for educational development. All provincial Chief Ministers have endorsed this
document under the leadership of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Pakistan has produced a number of educational policies in the past and all have been
quality documents in their own right. The failure has always been in the commitment and
implementation. Resultantly, the current document “National Education Policy 2009” focuses on
governance as an issue and also calls for manifesting its commitment to education by investing
more on education. The implementation framework also elaborates a federal-inter-provincial
process that would involve the provinces as autonomous in development of implementation
strategies and plans. The Inter-provincial Education Ministers’ forum has been designated as the
oversight body for monitoring, again shifting the responsibility to all the federating units
collectively.
Despite the new concepts in the document on implementation and governance, success
will depend on our commitment to the cause of education in Pakistan. There has to be a
realization that the country’s future depends on our ability to implement the current policy more
effectively than previous attempts. This will only be possible if the political will continues to be
high and can be backed by provision of resources to the sector.
I thank the Prime Minister of Pakistan for his strong commitment that has enabled this
document to appear as a consensus policy, agreed to by all the provincial and area governments. I
am also grateful to the provincial governments, especially all Chief Ministers, for their interest in
the document from its inception to its finalization. I hope that the commitment will continue to
sustain and help the vision in the document convert into actual improvement on ground for the
children of Pakistan.
Islamabad, the 22nd October, 2009
Sd/-
(Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani)
Education Minister
viii
Introduction 1
INTRODUCTION
1. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2009 (“the Policy”) is the latest in a series of education
policies dating back to the very inception of the country in 1947. The review process for the National
Education Policy 1998-2010 was initiated in 2005 and the first public document, the White Paper, was
finalised in March 2007. The White Paper, as designed, became the basis for development of the Policy
document. Though four years have elapsed between beginning and finalisation of the exercise, the, lag
is due to a number of factors including the process of consultations adopted and significant political
changes that took place in the country.
2. Two main reasons prompted the Ministry of Education (MoE) to launch the review in 2005
well before the time horizon of the existing Policy (1998 - 2010)1 : firstly, the Policy did not produce
the desired educational results and performance remained deficient in several key aspects including
access, quality and equity of educational opportunities and, secondly, Pakistan’s new international
commitments to Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Dakar Framework of Action for
Education for All (EFA). Also the challenges triggered by globalisation and nation’s quest for
becoming a knowledge society in the wake of compelling domestic pressures like devolution and
demographic transformations have necessitated a renewed commitment to proliferate quality education
for all.
3. This document is organized into nine chapters. Chapter 1 describes overarching challenges,
identifying two fundamental causes that lie behind the deficiencies in performance (the commitment
gap and the implementation gap), and outlines the way forward. Chapters 2 and 3 articulate the ways of
filling the Commitment Gap (system values, priorities and resources) and Implementation Gap
(Ensuring good governance) respectively. Chapter 4 puts forward the provisions of Islamic Education
and transformation of the society on Islamic human values. Chapters 5 to 8 outline reforms and policy
actions to be taken at the sub-sector levels. Chapter 9 broadly suggests a Framework for
Implementation of the Action Plan of this Policy document. Annex- I describes the current state of the
education sector. Available indicators have been assessed against data in comparable countries.
4. Most of the issues recognised in this document were also discussed in previous policy
documents. A new policy document on its own will not ameliorate the condition but all segments of
society will have to contribute in this endeavour. However, the document does recognise two deficits of
previous documents i.e. governance reform and an implementation roadmap, which if redressed, can
improve the performance of the present Policy.
5. The policy discusses issues of inter-tier responsibilities wherein the respective roles and
functions of the federal-provincial-district governments continue to be unclear. Confusion has been
compounded, especially, at the provincial-district levels after the ‘Devolution Plan’ mainly because the
latter was not supported by a clear articulation of strategies. The other issue identified for governance
reforms is the fragmentation of ministries, institutions etc. for management of various sub-sectors of
education and, at times, within each sub-sector. Problems of management and planning have also been
discussed and recommendations prepared.
6. This document includes a chapter that describes the implementation framework. The
framework recognises the centrality of the federating units in implementation of education policy
measures. The role of the Federal Ministry of Education will be that of a coordinator and facilitator so
as to ensure sectoral and geographic uniformity in achievement of educational goals nationally. A shift
1
National Education Policy: 1998-2010, Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad, 1998.
2 National Education Policy 2009
has been made by making the National Education Policy a truly ‘national’ document and not a federal
recipe. For this, it has been recommended that Inter-Provincial Education Ministers’ Conference
(IPEMC), with representation of all federating units, will be the highest body to oversee progress of
education in the country. In this respect, the Federal-Provincial collaborative effort remains the key to
success.
7. It has also been proposed to make the document a “dynamic document” that will “live” for an
indefinite period and be subjected to improvements whenever needed. IPEM will consider and approve
all such improvements which can be proposed by any of the federating units.
8. The purpose of the Policy is to chart out a national strategy for pursuing improvement in
education. Many of the policy actions outlined have already been initiated through reforms: most
notably in the domains of curriculum development, textbook/learning materials policy, provision of
missing facilities. A number of initiatives are already being implemented by the provincial and area
governments. The Policy takes account of these ongoing reforms and integrates them into its
recommendations. The Policy is also embedded within the Islamic ethos as enshrined in the
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
9. The success of the Policy will depend on the national commitment to this cause. Already there
has been a marked improvement in this sector, as all provinces and areas, as well as the federal
government, have raised the priority of education. This will now have to be matched with availability of
resources and capacity enhancement for absorption of these resources to improve education outcomes
for the children of Pakistan. It is a long journey that has already begun. It is hoped that the policy
document will help give a clearer direction and help institutionalise the efforts within a national
paradigm.
-* - * - *-
Overarching Challenges & Deficiencies: Their Causes and the Way Forward 3
CHAPTER 1
National Education Policy:
Overarching Challenges & Deficiencies: Their Causes and the Way Forward
1.1 BACKGROUND
10. Education is a vital investment for human and economic development and is influenced by the
environment within which it exists. Changes in technology, employment patterns and general global
environment require policy responses. Traditions, culture and faith combine to reflect upon the
education system. The element of continuity and change remains perpetual and it is up to the society to
determine its pace and direction.
11. Societal, political and governmental structures also determine and define the effectiveness of
the education system. An education policy cannot be prepared in isolation from these realities. An
education system needs to evolve with human society, and vice versa.
12. Cultural values of the majority of Pakistanis are derived from Islam. Since an education system
reflects and strengthens social, cultural and moral values, therefore, Pakistan’s educational
interventions need to be based on the core values of religion and faith.
13. The Policy recognizes the importance of Islamic values and adheres to the agreed principles in
this regard. All policy interventions shall fall within the parameters identified in the Principles of Policy
as laid down in Articles 29, 30, 31, 33, 36, 37 and 40 of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. These
include the need for developing Pakistani children as proud Pakistani citizens having strong faith in
religion and religious teachings as well as the cultural values and traditions of the Pakistani society.
1.2 THE DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION
14. Recent studies on demographic trends reveal that economists have begun to focus on the impact
of changing age structure of the population. The interest in relation between population change and
economic growth has again caught light due to the demographic transition taking place in the
developing countries. It offers potential economic benefit from changes in the age structure of the
population during the demographic transition, owing to an increase in working age population and
associated decline in the dependent age population.
15. According to Population Census, the dependent population (below 15 years and above 65
years) was 51.2% in 1981, and 53.1% in 1998 which according to UN population projections, fell to
42.7% in 2004 and will further fall to 38.3% in 2015. Similarly, the working age population which was
48.8% in 1981 and 46.9% in 1998 surged to 57.3% in 2004 and it is expected to reach 61.7% by 2015;
demographic transition is taking place, though, currently at a slower pace. It poses an enormous
challenge for the government to manage the economy in such a way that the demographic transition
benefits Pakistan.
1.3 UNIFORMITY AND CONFIDENCE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM
16. The imperative of uniformity in Pakistan’s educational system flows from the Constitution of
Pakistan, which entrusts the State with the responsibility of organizing an equitable and effective
education system, with an aim to enhance the overall well being of Pakistanis. The national educational
4 National Education Policy 2009
systems in different countries have evolved with the State in such a way that they appear to flow from
each other. That is the reason modern States have one educational system, customarily called the
‘national educational system’. No other system in a State, except the national educational system,
shares the ideals, objectives, and purposes of a State. The institution of Education in fact, acts as the
repository of the trust that the citizens have in the State, mediating the achievements of the past with the
aspirations of the future for all citizens of any given State. It is this correlation between the State and
the Educational System, which bestows a singularity to the national educational system, making it a
unified and unifying entity. To promote and protect this uniformity, national educational systems strive
to establish a uniformity in structures and modes of education throughout the country. Aware of the
importance of the local cultural context, the new National Education Policy supports the reflection of
the local cultures through curricula. As the national educational systems also evolve as a response to
particular demands of distinct ethnic, social, economic, religious, political groups and communities,
there is always room for diversity. This diversity can lend strength to the educational outcomes,
especially in a federation like Pakistan, if this does not work at cross purposes with the harmonising
uniformities.
17. The emergence and continued presence of parallel systems of education in Pakistan i.e., private
schools and Madaris, violate the principle of the uniformity of the educational system .The Policy is
conscious of the historical context which favoured the emergence of these parallel systems. It,
therefore, endeavours to encourage these systems to blend in the national educational system in a
manner that they strengthen the uniformity of the national educational system, especially in terms of
curricula, educational standards, costs and conditions and learning environment.
18. Provision of educational services is essentially a public function. The Constitution of Pakistan
expects the public sector to take lead in performing this public function. The relative failure of the
State’s educational system has resulted in the emergence of the alternative education provider i.e. the
private sector. The assurance of uniformity would remain the responsibility of the State. It can do so
entirely on its own or can develop public-private partnerships to ensure that the uniformity in standards
and purpose of education is not compromised.
19. Governance in the educational system is very weak. The Educational Policy, informed by the
ideals of democratic governance, implying a partnership amongst the principal societal actors in the
making and implementation of public policy, would try to effect a better allocation and management of
public resources.
20. The unity of objectives of our educational efforts – whether in the public or private sector - is
spelt through the overarching principles of access, quality, affordability and relevance. The way the
Pakistani educational system has developed over time, we can notice a certain dispersion of the
objective of the unity manifesting itself in the form of parallel educational systems and their
equivalence, and the issues of medium of instruction, and representation of minorities, etc. The Policy
is guided by the principle of creating a minimum level of universal conformity in order to protect the
uniformity of the Pakistan’s educational system as a tool of social progress and of all round
development in an increasingly globalised and competitive world.
21. English is an international language, and important for competition in a globalised world order.
Urdu is our national language that connects people all across Pakistan and is a symbol of national
cohesion and integration. In addition, there are many other languages in the country that are markers of
cultural richness and diversity. The challenge is that a child is able to carry forward the cultural assets
and be, at the same time, able to compete nationally and internationally.
Overarching Challenges & Deficiencies: Their Causes and the Way Forward 5
1.4 GLOBALIZATION AND COMPETITIVENESS
22. Globalization is not a new phenomenon but its acceleration in recent years has been
unprecedented. This has created opportunities and challenges for countries the world over. An
education system cannot remain in isolation of these challenges and opportunities. Unfortunately, a
comprehensive national analysis and debate on the potential impact and possible benefits of
globalization has been a major deficit. Work that has been undertaken has been confined to the business
sector. Even here, the feedback into the education system to develop a desired response has been
missing. Other aspects of globalization like media and culture have been ignored.
23. The relevance of education to global competitiveness can be seen in the table from the Global
Competitive Index (GCI), given at the following page. Pakistan has been compared with its major
competitors in an international context. (Higher the number assigned to a pillar, the lesser the
performance.)
GCI Pillars and Comparators
Pillars/ Parameters Pakistan Bangla
desh China India Malaysia Sri
Lanka
1. Institutions 79 121 80 34 18 82
2. Infrastructure 67 117 60 62 23 76
3. Macro-economy 86 47 50 88 31 110
4. Health and Primary
Education
108 90 55 93 42 36
5. Higher Education & Trg. 104 108 77 49 32 81
6. Market Efficiency 54 83 56 21 09 71
7. Technological Readiness 89 114 75 55 28 83
8. Business Sophistication 66 96 65 25 20 71
9. Innovation 60 109 46 26 21 53
Source: The State of Pakistan’s Competitiveness 2007, Competitive Support Fund, USAID, Ministry
of Finance, Government of Pakistan, 2007.
24. It can be seen that in education and health related indicators, Pakistan falls behind all other
countries. It has to be realized that even the sustainability and improvement of other indicators depend
on education.
25. Important products and drivers of globalization have been technologies like the internet and
satellite television. This impact has overtaken the perceptions of the policymakers, most of whom grew
up in an era when these technologies did not exist. These are important tools of education as well as
potential detriments to the objectives of national education. There has been no analysis to comprehend
its potential impact on children both in the positive as well as negative aspects.
1.5 SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND SOCIAL COHESION
26. Education is not only about the individual; it has a societal role --a societal role of selecting,
classifying, distributing, transmitting and evaluating the educational knowledge, reflecting both the
distribution of power and the principle of social contract. In a country with alarming inequities of
income and opportunities, reducing the social exclusion needs to be one of the principle objectives of
the Policy. The educational system in Pakistan is accused of strengthening the existing inequitable
6 National Education Policy 2009
social structure as very few people from the public sector educational institutions have the potential to
move up the ladder of social mobility. If immediate attention is not paid to reducing social exclusion
and moving towards inclusive development in Pakistan, the country can face unprecedented social
upheavals.
27. Almost all the past educational policies talk about the role of education as a tool for social
reform and social development. But all these policies have been unable to significantly contribute to
social inclusiveness by ensuring social mobility through education and training. Educational system is
supposed to ensure the right of an individual to grow in income and stature on the basis of his/her
excellence in education and training.
28. Uneven distribution of resources and opportunities and apprehensions of sliding down the scale
of poverty promote social exclusion. Increased social exclusion expresses itself in different forms like
ethnic strife, sectarianism and extremism, etc. Social exclusion or extremism is not exclusively a
function of the curriculum, but a host of traditional factors like poverty, inequity, political instability
and injustice contribute to it and it becomes a huge challenge that calls for a comprehensive response on
urgent basis.
1.6 SETTING STANDARDS FOR EDUCATION
29. A key deficit is the absence of clearly articulated minimum standards for most educational
interventions and their outcomes. Even where these are established, there is no measurement or
structured follow up. As a result, impact of the interventions remains subject to anecdotes or
speculation and the true picture never emerges. Since standardization has not been part of the
governance culture, relevant indicators have not been developed. Only recently the National Education
Management Information System (NEMIS) has begun the process of computing indicators. Though
even these indicators are those that have been internationally identified and developed by UNESCO or
some of the donors for cross-cutting international programmes like Dakar Framework of Action for
EFA, indigenous requirements on a scale have not been assessed.
1.7 DOVETAILING GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
30. Recently many new initiatives have been taken by the government aiming at providing missing
facilities. Traditional approach of improving infrastructure and providing brick and mortar is no doubt
necessary, but not sufficient for quality education delivery and sustainable economic development in
the existing burgeoning global competitive milieu. Some initiatives also focus/target on improving
teaching quality and learning environment, building capacity of education managers and administrators,
etc. Apart from the Ministry of Education, many other initiatives have been launched in the recent past
by different Ministries, organizations and departments like National Commission for Human
Development (NCHD), Higher Education Commission (HEC), National Vocational & Technical
Education Commission (NAVTEC), Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education (MoSW&SE)
and Labour & Manpower Division, to develop the Human Resource of Pakistan in a bid to meet the
emerging challenges.
31. It has been observed that some of these initiatives are working in isolation of each other, thus
not adding much value to the national objectives. These programmes need to be dovetailed in such a
way that their impact is multiplied and we get maximum return on our investment and efforts. There is
a need of coordination at both the provincial and federal levels, where this is not already being done.
Also the issue of vertical federal programmes and projects should be reassessed as these currently have
little or no ownership from the provincial governments.
Overarching Challenges & Deficiencies: Their Causes and the Way Forward 7
1.8 LEVERAGING INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS
32. International development partners are providing generous support to the education sector in
Pakistan. Donors have different priorities in terms of programmatic emphasis and geographical
coverage. At times their projects overlap in an uncomplimentary manner or their programmatic focus
and emphasis bring limited value addition to the objectives of the Government. Getting optimum value
from these investments has become a challenge in the absence of institutionalized mechanisms for
donor coordination. In order to help and optimize the partnership with international development
agencies, it is important to review the guiding national policy framework, and refine it to meet the
national goals.
1.9 MAJOR DEFICIENCIES
33. Pakistan has made progress on a number of education indicators in recent years but there is still
a huge gap to fill. Access to educational opportunities remains low and the quality of education is poor,
not only in relation to Pakistan’s own aspirations but also in international comparisons with the
reference countries. As the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) shows Pakistan’s performance is weak
on the health and education related elements of competitiveness, when compared with its major
competitors like India, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia2.
34. On the Education Development Index, which combines all educational access measures
Pakistan lies at the bottom with Bangladesh and is considerably lower than Sri Lanka3. A similar
picture emerges from the gross enrolment ratios that combine all education sectors and by the adult
literacy rate measures. The overall Human Development Index (HDI) for Pakistan stands at 0.55, which
is marginally better than Bangladesh and Nepal but poorer than other countries in the region4. The
report also shows that while Pakistan’s HDI has improved over the years the rate of progress in other
countries has been higher. Bangladesh, starting at a lower base has caught up, while other countries
have further improved upon their relative advantage.
1.10 UNDERSTANDING SYSTEM DEFICIENCIES
35. There are two fundamental causes for the weak performance of the education sector: (i) lack of
commitment to education – the commitment gap; and (ii) the implementation gap that has thwarted the
application of policies. The two gaps are linked in practice: a lack of commitment leads to poor
implementation, but the weak implementation presents problem of its own.
1.10.1 The Commitment Gap
36. The low level of resources allocated, and even lesser utilized, stand in sharp contrast to the
commitment required by the policy statements which set up ambitious goals for the sector. The national
emphasis on education goes back to the enshrining of the right to education in the Constitution.
2 The State of Pakistan’s Competitiveness 2007, Competitive Support Fund, USAID, Ministry of Finance,
Government of Pakistan, 2007
3
Human Development Report 2007/2008, UNDP, 2007
4
ibid
8 National Education Policy 2009
37. The contrast between the vision and the commitment has been pointed out by the Planning
Commission: “We cannot spend only 2.7 % of our GDP on education and expect to become a vibrant
knowledge economy”5.
38. The commitment gap could be caused by two factors: (i) lack of belief in education’s true
worth for socio-economic and human-centered development; and/or (ii) a lack of belief in the
credibility of the goals themselves. In regard to the first, the analysis done during the policy review,
including reviewing recent international research and policy experience, confirms the potent role
education can play in achieving economic growth and social development. On this basis, the
commitment gap could not be caused by a lack of appreciation of the intrinsic worth of education. The
lack of commitment to the policy goals itself may, therefore, be the real problem
1.10.2 The Implementation Gap
39. The implementation gap, though less well documented, is believed to be more pervasive in that
it affects many aspects of governance and the allocation and use of resources. One piece of evidence
relates to the amount of developmental funds allocated to the sector that remain unspent. Estimates
range from 20% to 30% of allocated funds remaining unutilised. The underlying causes may lie in the
lack of a planning culture, planning capacity and weaknesses in the accountability mechanisms.
40. Another type of implementation problem surfaces in the corruption that perverts the entire
spectrum of the system. Anecdotes abound of education allocations systematically diverted to personal
use at most levels of the allocation chain. Political influence and favouritism are believed to interfere in
the allocation of resources to the Districts and schools, in recruitment, training and posting of teachers
and school administrators that are not based on merit, in awarding of textbook contracts, and in the
conduct of examinations and assessments. The pervasive nature of corruption reflects a deeper malaise
where the service to the students and learners is not at the forefront of the thought and behaviour
processes in operating the system.
1.11 THEWAY FORWARD: A PARADIGM SHIFT
41. Addressing the two underlying deficiencies requires a fundamental change in the thinking that
informs education policy at all levels. The need for a paradigm shift is echoed in the ‘Vision 2030’
report of the Planning Commission, which calls for major adaptations and innovation in the education
system.
42. The paradigmatic shift requires that the objectives of the education policy would be to serve the
interests of students and learners rather than of those who develop policy or implement programmes.
This is a very fundamental shift as it implies changes in all the important parameters of education
policy: what educational provision to offer; who benefits from educational provision; what pedagogy
and teaching and learning methods to employ; and how the resource cost should be shared among the
stakeholders? Accordingly, the Policy recognises the need for reforms and makes recommendations for
action in a wide range of areas, which are divided into two categories. First, there are system level
reforms, which deal with issues such as the vision of the system, sector priorities and governance, and
resources for the sector. The second set of reforms address problems that are specific to individual subsectors
of education, ranging from early childhood education to adult learning.
-* - * - *-
5
Pakistan in the 21st Century: Vision 2030, Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan, 2007.
Filling the Commitment Gap: System Values, Priorities and Resources 9
CHAPTER 2
Filling the Commitment Gap:
System Values, Priorities and Resources
2.1 EDUCATIONAL VISION AND PERFORMANCE
43. The Constitution of Pakistan affirms an egalitarian view of education based on values
responding to the requirements of economic growth. Article 38 (d) speaks of instilling moral values
and of providing education to all citizens irrespective of gender, caste, creed, or race. Article 37(b)
explicitly states that the State of Pakistan shall endeavour “to remove illiteracy and provide free and
compulsory secondary education within minimum possible period”. Article 34 requires that “steps shall
be taken to ensure full participation of women in all the spheres of national life”. It is in this perspective
that Pakistan has made a commitment to achieve six Dakar EFA Goals within the specified target dates.
44. In contrast to this vision for education, there has been little commitment to pursue the
ambitions of a National Educational Policy. Governance and management of education have fallen
short of the commitments. As a consequence, Pakistan’s education system is afflicted with fissures that
have created parallel systems of education and has performed poorly on the criteria of access, equity
and quality.
45. As the ‘Vision 2030’ describes it, the reality on the ground is “the divide between the prevalent
school structure and differences in levels of infrastructure and facilities, media of instruction,
emolument of teachers, and even examination systems between public and private sectors. The rich
send their children to privately run English medium schools which offer foreign curricula and
examination systems; the public schools enrol those who are too poor to do so.” This divide can be
further categorised across low cost private schools and the elite schools. There is another divide
between the curriculum that is offered to the children enrolled in Deeni Madaris and the curriculum in
the rest of the public and private establishments. There is also an unresolved and continuing debate on
how and what religious and moral values to be taught through the educational system and how to
accommodate non-Muslim minorities.
46. Pakistan’s commitment to universal primary education by 2015 under EFA Framework appears
elusive on current performance, as participation is low and drop-out rates continue to be high. There are
persistent gender and rural-urban disparities. Girls continue to remain under-represented in the
education system, both public and private. The rural urban divide is stark on most indicators of school
provision and participation, which becomes particularly attenuated in some Provinces and Areas.
47. Finally, an education system cannot exist in isolation of the challenges and opportunities
provided by globalization. These are in the fields of business and commerce, technology, cultural
values, identity and many more. Unfortunately, a comprehensive national analysis and debate on the
potential impact and possible benefits of globalization has been a major deficit.
2.2 A REAFFIRMATION OF EDUCATIONAL VISION
48. Recognising the commitment gap, a first priority is a reaffirmation of the fundamental vision of
education. The ability to meet goals and targets, and the financial and human resources required to
achieve these, follow closely from the commitment to a clearly articulated vision.
49. There are compelling reasons for a reaffirmation. New research provides convincing evidence
of education’s contribution to both economic and social development, which can be achieved
10 National Education Policy 2009
simultaneously, because the processes of economic growth and social development are interlinked.
There are close links between equity in educational opportunities and equitable income distribution and
income growth. If the education system is constructed on a divisive basis, the divisions it creates can
endanger long run economic growth as well as stability of society.
50. The contribution of education to economic growth of societies is well established. A long
history of research has confirmed that each year of schooling contributes 0.58% to the rate of economic
growth6. The evidence is not just for the developed economies of the world but, importantly to the
point, for the developing nations as well.
51. This new research highlights the possibilities of both a vicious and a virtuous circle operating
from equity of educational opportunities to equity of income distribution, and from social cohesion to
economic growth. An affirmation of commitment to Pakistan’s egalitarian education vision in the
service of all citizens and as a driver of economic and social development can help produce a virtuous
circle of high level of human and social capital leading to equitable economic growth and social
advancement. The education sector policies have to be reoriented if they are not to fall in the vicious
circle trap.
52. The reaffirmation of educational vision requires a change of mindset that would permit
development of goals, policies and programmes in support of the vision. The Planning Commission’s
‘Vision 2030’ also argues for such change of the mindset, which commits to a new set of societal goals.
The Ministry of Education has adopted the following vision:
“Our education system must provide quality education to our children and youth to enable
them to realize their individual potential and contribute to development of society and nation,
creating a sense of Pakistani nationhood, the concepts of tolerance, social justice, democracy,
their regional and local culture and history based on the basic ideology enunciated in the
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”
2.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
1. To revitalize the existing education system with a view to cater to social, political and
spiritual needs of individuals and society.
2. To play a fundamental role in the preservation of the ideals, which led to the creation of
Pakistan and strengthen the concept of the basic ideology within the Islamic ethos enshrined
in the 1973 Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
3. To create a sense of unity and nationhood and promote the desire to create a welfare State for
the people of Pakistan
4. To promote national cohesion by respecting all faiths and religions and recognise cultural and
ethnic diversity.
5. To promote social and cultural harmony through the conscious use of the educational process.
6. To provide and ensure equal educational opportunities to all citizens of Pakistan and to
provide minorities with adequate facilities for their cultural and religious development,
enabling them to participate effectively in the overall national effort.
6
Equity, Quality and Economic Growth, The World Bank, 2007
Filling the Commitment Gap: System Values, Priorities and Resources 11
7. To develop a self reliant individual, capable of analytical and original thinking, a responsible
member of society and a global citizen.
8. To aim at nurturing the total personality of the individual: dynamic, creative and capable of
facing the truth as it emerges from the objective study of reality.
9. To raise individuals committed to democratic and moral values, aware of fundamental
human rights, open to new ideas, having a sense of personal responsibility and participation
in the productive activities in society for the common good.
10. To revive confidence in public sector education system by raising the quality of education
provided in government owned institutions through setting standards for educational inputs,
processes and outputs and institutionalizing the process of monitoring and evaluation from
the lowest to the highest levels.
11. To improve service delivery through political commitment and strengthening education
governance and management.
12. To develop a whole of sector view through development of a policy and planning process that
captures the linkages across various sub sectors of the education system.
13. To enable Pakistan to fulfill its commitments to achieve Dakar Framework of Action,
Education For All goals and Millennium Development Goals relating to education.
14. To widen access to education for all and to improve the quality of education, particularly in
its dimension of being relevant to the needs of the economy.
15. To equalize access to education through provision of basic facilities for girls and boys alike,
under-privileged/marginalized groups and special children and adults.
16. To eradicate illiteracy within the shortest possible time through universalizing of quality
elementary education coupled with institutionalized adult literacy programmes.
17. To enable an individual to earn his/her livelihood honestly through skills that contribute to
the national economy and enables him/her to make informed choices in life.
18. To lay emphasis on diversification from general to tertiary education so as to transform the
education system from supply-oriented to demand-driven and preparing the students for the
world of work.
19. To encourage research in higher education institutions that will contribute to accelerated
economic growth of the country.
20. To organize a national process for educational development that will reduce disparities across
provinces and areas and support coordination and sharing of experiences.
2.4 OVERARCHING PRIORITIES:WIDENING ACCESS AND RAISING QUALITY
53. The objective of education is the development of a self reliant individual, capable of analytical
and original thinking, a responsible member of the community and, in the present era, a global citizen.
It is imperative to identify and, possibly define, the touchstone for development of the child as a
member of society. Each culture has its own ethos that bears relevance for its individual constituents.
12 National Education Policy 2009
The challenge today is to secure values without regressing into unnecessary anachronisms and parochial
insularity. The other relevance of education is its ability to provide the graduates with an opportunity to
earn a living. Education should be able to increase the earning potential of the individual who is literate;
irrespective of the eventual vocation opted.
54. The foregoing articulations of the economic and social goals are taken by the Policy as an
appropriate basis for defining the priorities for the National Educational Policy. They lead to two overarching
priorities. Given the important role of education as a key driver of economic growth and social
advancement, the first policy priority is to widen access to education for all. Improving the quality of
education, particularly in its dimension of being relevant to the needs of the economy, becomes an
equally important strategic priority.
55. This Policy document identifies policy actions in pursuit of these two overriding objectives.
These are divided into policy actions required at the system level and actions pertaining to specific subsectors
of education treated across various chapters.
Policy Actions:
1. Provinces and Area Governments shall affirm the goal of achieving universal and free
primary education by 2015 and up to class 10 by 2025.
2. Provincial and Area Governments shall develop plans for achieving these targets,
including intermediate enrolment targets and estimates of the required financial,
technical, human and organizational resources.
3. The plans shall also promote equity in education with the aim of eliminating social
exclusion and promoting national cohesion. Greater opportunities shall be provided to
marginalised groups of society, particularly girls.
4. To achieve the commitments of Government of Pakistan towards Education for All
(EFA) and the MDGs, inclusive and child-friendly education shall be promoted.
5. Special measures shall be adopted to ensure inclusion of special persons in mainstream
education as well as in literacy and Technical and Vocational Education (TVE)
programmes.
6. Governments shall improve quality of educational provision at all levels of education.
7. National Standards for educational inputs, processes and outputs shall be determined. A
National Authority for Standards of Education shall be established. The standards shall
not debar a provincial and area government/organization from having its own standards
higher than the prescribed minimum.
8. Provincial and district governments shall establish monitoring and inspection systems to
ensure quality education service delivery in all institutions.
9. Steps shall be taken to make educational provision relevant for the employment market
and for promoting innovation in the economy.
10. Universities and research institutes shall place greater emphasis on mobilising research
for promoting innovation in the economy.
Filling the Commitment Gap: System Values, Priorities and Resources 13
11. Educational inputs need to be designed with a comprehension of the challenges and
opportunities related to globalization. Strategies shall be developed to optimize
opportunities and minimize the potentially negative impacts.
2.5 MOBILISING RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION
56. Reforms and priorities will need to be planned in detail at various levels of government,
including the cost requirements. Even in the absence of such detailed estimates it is easy to see that the
required resources will exceed, by a considerable margin, the current outlay of 2.7% of GDP.
57. The need for a higher level of allocation comes from the fact that both the volume and the
quality of provision have to be enhanced simultaneously. Also, Pakistan starts from a smaller base level
of resource commitment, as is evident from a comparison with other developing nations.
Policy Actions:
1. The Government7 shall commit to allocating 7% of GDP to education by 2015 and
necessary enactment shall be made for this purpose. Formula for proportional allocation
(out of available funds) to different sub-sectors of education shall be evolved by the
provincial/ area governments.
2. The Government shall explore ways to increase the contribution of the private sector,
which at present contributes only 16 per cent of the total educational resources.
3. For promoting Public-Private-Partnership in the education sector, particularly in the case
of disadvantaged children, a percentage of the education budget as grant in aid (to be
decided by each Province) shall be allocated to philanthropic, non-profit educational
institutions.
4. A system of checks and balances for the private sector shall be formed to oversee the
issues of fees, school standards, salaries of teachers, conduct and hygiene etc.
5. Total resources for education shall be further augmented by developing strategies for
inviting and absorbing international contributions. The Federal and Provincial/Area
Governments shall develop consensus on needs and priorities with a focus on provinces
and areas with weaker human development, for foreign assistance in education through
comprehensive sector plans of provincial/area governments.
6. A system for donor harmonization and improved coordination between development
partners and government agencies shall be developed
7. The cost estimates for serving as the basis for educational allocation shall be to adopt
more comprehensive definition of the concept of “free” education. The term shall
encompass all education related costs including expenditure on stationery, school bags,
transport and meals, which are, in general, not covered at present, and shall be applied as
a basis of allocating funds on a needs basis for poor children.
8. Government and educational institutions shall strengthen planning and implementation
capacity to improve utilisation of resources.
-* - * - *-
7 “Government” includes different tiers i.e. federal, provincial/ area as well as district governments and the figure
of 7% consists of allocation by all these governments.
14 National Education Policy 2009
Filling the Implementation Gap: Ensuring Good Governance 15
CHAPTER 3
Filling the Implementation Gap:
Ensuring Good Governance
58. The Policy has identified implementation problems as one of the two main underlying causes
of poor performance of the education sector. Implementation problems, themselves, can be traced to
several types of governance issues, which need addressing:
1. Absence of a whole-of-sector view
2. Lack of policy coherence
3. Unclear roles in fragmented governance
4. Parallel systems of education (public-private divide)
5. Widening structural divide
6. Weak planning and management
7. Lack of stakeholder participation
3.1 DEVELOPING AWHOLE-OF-SECTOR VIEW
59. The education sector has divided responsibilities at the Federal level and between the Federal
and other sub-national administrations. At the Federal level, the responsibilities for different elements
of the education are carved up between the Higher Education Commission (HEC), National Vocational
and Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC) and the Ministry of Education (while other
Ministries also run individual establishments and trusts). This splitting up within education also exists
at the Provincial level. In the Punjab, the Department for Literacy and Non-formal Education is separate
from the Provincial Education Department. In Balochistan, Literacy comes under the Social Welfare
Department, and so on. There is no mechanism for developing a whole-of-sector view provincially as
well as the national level.
Policy Actions:
1. A comprehensive Human Resource Development (HRD) policy shall be developed
integrating all types and branches of HRD institutions from Early Childhood Education
(ECE) to tertiary education. The policy must keep market needs in view, including the
flexibility in market trends, for Higher and Technical and Vocational Education.
2. Organizational fragmentation of education at federal and provincial levels shall be
assessed for rationalisation and where feasible various streams, including literacy, shall
be managed by one organization.
3. Sector-wide planning shall be co-ordinated by the Ministry of Education in order to bring
together responsibilities for different sub-sectors of education, training and learning.
3.2 ENSURING POLICY COHERENCE
60. Education policies have major intersections with other policies at the national level and subnational
levels. Policies for early childhood education (ECE) are closely linked to social welfare
policies; education and skills for the labour market figure as a factor with employment, labour,
economic and regional development policies. Policies in the higher education area, likewise, are closely
linked with innovation, growth and industrial policies. They point to the need for coherence across
many policy domains. A whole-of-sector-view is an essential input for achieving policy coherence.
16 National Education Policy 2009
Policy Action:
1. The Ministry of Education shall be responsible for ensuring coherence with other socioeconomic
policies of the Government
2. Inter-Provincial/Area exchange of students and teachers shall be encouraged with a view
to promote cultural harmony, mutual understanding, tolerance, social integration and
brotherhood.
3. A mechanism for a strong coordination among different entities at the Federal and
Provincial levels shall be developed to ensure harmony amongst different sub-sectors of
education, training and learning.
3.3 OVERCOMING FRAGMENTED GOVERNANCE
61. Governance of education is the overarching framework that determines the ability of the state
to meet its goals and targets; the responsibility to ensure that education of quality is available to all
without discrimination. It cannot abdicate this responsibility to any other entity within (or outside) the
country. The state dispenses its responsibility in education through direct service delivery as well as
regulating the non-state participation in the sector. The largest proportion of the service delivery in
Pakistan remains with the public sector even as the private sector is growing. However, the current size
of the private sector, including the propensity for continuous growth, call for a more inclusive approach
to dealing with education. It requires an approach that recognises the role of the private sector, its
linkages with the rest and the possibilities of synergizing for improved outcomes.
62. Looking at the education sector vertically, Pakistan, like many other federal countries, has
divided jurisdictional arrangements over education matters. Within a Province or Area Administration,
jurisdiction over education is further divided across District and institutional levels. Given these divided
jurisdictions, it is essential that the demarcation of responsibilities is clear. A lack of clarity in roles and
responsibilities leads to unclear regimes of accountability and the possibility that responsibilities could
fall between the stools of different levels of government.
63. Inter-tier roles are, in principle, defined in the Constitution and its related Ordinances i.e. the
Local Government Ordinances (LGOs). However, details of interaction and demarcation of functions
across each tier are missing because development of an effective federal system in the country has been
hampered by centralization under dictatorial regimes.
64. The Constitution of the country places education in the Concurrent List as a national
responsibility; which does not translate into a Federal responsibility. It implies a collective national
response of all the Provincial and Areas governments along with the Federal government as equal
partners. The Federal Ministry of Education is required to co-ordinate and facilitate the process.
65. Considerable ambiguities can, however, arise in how the principles are applied in practice as
the principles of responsibility-sharing can be open to different interpretations. In the past, there has
been a perception that the Federal Government may have overstepped its mandate, while some voices
from the Provinces see little role for the Federal level.
66. In case of the provincial-district interaction, the Local Government Ordinances (LGOs) have
not spelt out any functional divide and each province continues with its own interpretation of
bottlenecks.
67. The ambiguities that can arise relate not only to the relations between the Federal and the
Provincial Governments but also, under the Devolution arrangements, between the Provincial and
Filling the Implementation Gap: Ensuring Good Governance 17
District governments. The relations between the provincial governments and the local governments are
in transition and there are a number of issues that need to be addressed. The main problem arises from
an administrative instead of a functional division of powers between the provincial and the Local
Governments. Greater clarification will also be needed if decentralisation is pursued right to the school
level. It is essential that different levels of governments should come together to articulate a clear
understanding of inter-tier roles and responsibilities.
68. This process can be aided by institutionalising the role of the Inter-Provincial Education
Ministers’ (IPEM) Conference. Policy making shall remain a national function with participation from
the Federal Government and the Provinces/Areas in a national forum. The role of the Federal
Government should be that of a facilitator and coordinator, while the IPEM would oversee
implementation.
Policy Actions:
1. To remove ambiguities between the different roles of Federal and Provincial
Governments in the field of education, their respective role and responsibilities shall be
mapped and clarified through national consultative processes involving the federal
government as well as provincial/area governments.
2. The Federal role shall be that of a facilitator and coordinator. This should apply not only
to the school level but also other levels and streams of education, including technical and
vocational education.
3. The Federal Ministry of Education shall be the focal point for development of the
National Education Policy through feedback from and consultations with the provincial
and area governments within the Implementation Framework described in Chapter 9.
4. The IPEM shall oversee the implementation of National Education Policy and review its
progress periodically.
5. An overarching framework shall be developed to aggregate the initiatives taken by the
Federal Education Ministry, provincial/areas education departments and organizations.
All these initiatives shall be coordinated to leverage their outputs in a manner that these
respond to the emerging challenges of society and the economy including globalization,
in a concrete way.
6. Decentralisation shall be pursued at each level of governance to devolve decision making
closer to the point of implementation and shall eventually move to the school level,
which shall become the basic unit for planning, including school based budgeting.
7. Decentralisation within the framework of devolution shall focus on delegation of
educational functions and not merely on delegation of administrative powers.
3.4 BRIDGING THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE DIVIDE
69. Existence of insulated parallel systems of public and private education in Pakistan remains a
cause for concern as it creates inequitable social divides. First, a small but important component of the
private sector caters to the elite and offers high quality that only the rich can afford. Its long-term socioeconomic
impact is divisive for the society, not the least in the relative neglect of improvements in the
public sector. Second, Deeni Madrassahs form a component of the private sector. The parallel system in
this case consists of a curriculum that lies outside the mainstream. Third, private sector establishments
within the mainstream are not properly regulated, which can leave students unprotected. They do not
often register with the Provincial authorities as they are required by law and do not often comply with
18 National Education Policy 2009
the regulations. Registered private schools often charge more fees than they are authorized to (the
average household annual expenditure per student in a private establishment is reported to be four times
greater). Similarly, private schools are being encouraged to offer admission and education services to
10% needy but meritorious students free of cost, a regulation that is not followed by most private
establishments. Fourth, the curriculum and qualifications structures do not give a clear idea of their
equivalence with public sector qualifications, which can put these students at a disadvantage. Finally,
the public sector has failed to capitalise on the potential benefits of synergies from the growth in private
sector.
70. Over the last few years, the private sector has been attempting to bridge the gaps and ills of
education system like inequitable access, poor quality, high drop outs etc. These efforts have sometimes
been through formal agreements with the relevant governments and sometimes on an informal basis. It
is being increasingly felt to institutionalize the arrangement to receive optimal results across the country
instead of incremental efforts in sporadic areas. The question arises as to where the private sector can
assist. Practically, it seems in every possible educational input. The exact possibility would depend on
the specific area or domain. Some of these inputs, inter alia, include (The list is not exhaustive, nor does
it identify areas that are new to the concept.):
1. School construction
2. Textbooks development
3. Libraries development including provision of supplementary reading material
4. Teacher education
5. Transportation
6. Food supplement to poor children
7. Literacy programmes
8. Information Communication Technology (ICT)
71. There may be other forms also. All of these opportunities can be evaluated for efficacy and
then implemented according to local conditions and requirements. Some options already operational in
the country are:
1. Voucher systems in existing schools or adoption of ill-performing public schools (already
first practised in Sindh by Sindh Education Foundation and now on a larger scale, by the
Punjab Education Foundation in poorer districts of the Punjab);
2. Using premises and/or facilities of the public schools for higher than the existing level of
schooling (first piloted by Punjab Education Department in 2003 and replicated by some
other provinces at a smaller scale);
3. Additional services like literacy centers after school timings of the morning shift in the
public sector schools (also initiated by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) in
some Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) institutions in collaboration with Children
Resource International, Islamabad). All these possibilities, as already stated, are being
pursued in some form or the other.
4. “Adopt A School” programme, particularly by the corporate sector and philanthropists.
Policy Actions:
1. Available educational resources in the private sector shall be mapped and information
made available to all. The resources in this case would include more than simply private
schools which are already part of the overall education census.
Filling the Implementation Gap: Ensuring Good Governance 19
2. Transparent and clear procedures shall be initiated in the education sector to allow
utilization of private sector inputs. Systems shall be developed through involvement of
all stakeholders: the public sector, the private sector and the community; keeping in view
Ministry of Education’s document “Public Private Partnerships in Pakistan’s Education
Sector”8.
3. Provincial Governments shall encourage private education at the school level as an
option available to those who can afford such education. At the same time, Governments
shall take steps to encourage public sector institutions to draw benef
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