Islamabad: The Center for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS) in Islamabad successfully organized a flagship seminar titled “Paving the Path to Excellence in Education in Pakistan: Policy, Curriculum, Approach.” The seminar brought together distinguished speakers including Drs. Faisal Bari. , Dean, LUMS School of Education at Lahore University of Management Sciences; Ms Mahrin Iqbal Siddiqui, CEO International Foundation for Education, Empowerment and Learning (iFEEL); and Dr. Saima Ashraf Kayani, Chair, Department of International Relations, Fatima Jinnah Women’s University. The proceedings were moderated by Air Vice Marshal Nasser ul Haq Wyne (Retd), Director of Non-Traditional Security at CASS, with vote of thanks and closing remarks delivered by Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan (Retd), President of CASS.
The seminar addressed key issues including quality of education and challenges in higher education; out-of-school children and regional differences and curriculum development. It also offered a platform for discussion on the effects of the 18th Amendment on educational policies, the viability of a uniform curriculum and the practicality of maintaining distinct educational streams in Pakistan’s diverse landscape.
Inaugurating the seminar, Air Vice Marshal Nasser ul Haq Wyne highlighted the cumulative impact of educational neglect and highlighted Pakistan’s significant lag in achieving primary and secondary education goals and the challenges facing the higher education sector, including political interference and lack of resources; it hinders the nation’s efforts to develop a comprehensive, skilled workforce and severely limits the education sector’s contribution to national development.
In his speech, Dr Faisal Bari highlighted the critical issues in Pakistan’s education system and highlighted the nation’s significant struggle to foster critical thinking skills such as consideration, deliberation, the ability to accept ambiguity and the ability to reason based on evidence. Discussing the transformative role of technology in higher education, particularly in relation to the new wave of automation, he warned of the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to automate and eliminate numerous jobs, underscoring the urgency of education reform. He further argued that the future of Pakistan depends on its education system. Dr. Bari highlighted the need for substantial improvements at the school level, specifically in pedagogy and curriculum development, and called for holistic strategies to incentivize and regulate universities and ensure they are aligned with the evolving demands of the workforce and wider society.
Speaking on the topic ‘Out of School Children and Regional Disparities’, Ms Mahrin Iqbal Siddiqui shared that the existing education infrastructure in Pakistan is not enough to support the inclusion of 26 million out of school children. Ms. Siddiqui emphasized the urgent need to launch an education campaign with the same intensity and urgency as the response to the COVID crisis, highlighting the potential of community mosques to play a significant role in raising awareness and sensitizing the population about the importance of education. She advocated for educational organizations to form partnerships with leading universities across Pakistan, suggesting that such collaborations could significantly improve children’s opportunities for higher education. In addition, Ms. Siddiqui pointed to the need to bridge the gaps between formal, informal and hybrid modes of education to ensure a more cohesive and accessible learning environment for all. She proposed a simple but effective “one room – one subject – one teacher” approach to solving complex challenges in education.
In dealing with the controversy surrounding the content of the curriculum, Dr. Saima Ashraf Kayani emphasized the need to remove political biases from the curriculum development process to better meet the changing needs of a dynamic society. She emphasized the importance of implementing measures to ensure that the curriculum is inclusive, relevant and promotes critical thinking while respecting Pakistan’s diverse cultural and regional background. In his closing remarks, Dr. Kayani advocated a strategic overhaul of the education system to make it more reflective and responsive to the country’s complex identity and future needs.
In his closing remarks, CASS President Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan highlighted the profound impact of education on national security, spanning both traditional and non-traditional fields. “If we want to ensure our security, it is essential to bring our out-of-school children into education,” he said. The CASS president also urged the country’s leadership to go beyond short-term electoral interests and invest in policies with benefits that can only be achieved over time. He affirmed that education (tarbait) is the collective responsibility of teachers, parents and society.
The seminar saw active participation from a diverse audience, including retired military officers, academics and students, who engaged in a candid question-and-answer session that enriched the discussion on this vital issue.
