ISLAMABAD – Minister of State for Federal Schooling and Skilled Coaching Wajiha Qamar stated the federal government is pushing via deep, systemwide reforms to remake Pakistan’s schooling sector right into a single, clear, and accountable entire.
In an unique interview with The Nation on Thursday, Jan 29, 2026, she outlined a large ranging agenda that features digitizing key processes, bringing scattered establishments beneath one framework, and intensifying efforts to scale back the variety of out of college youngsters, with a selected give attention to women. She additionally spoke about introducing synthetic intelligence into the curriculum, launching pilot packages for pupil psychological well being, increasing college vitamin initiatives, and upgrading amenities with trendy STEM labs.
Terming schooling a nationwide emergency, the minister stated the intention isn’t brief time period fixes however sturdy, structural change. These reforms, she added, are supposed to handle studying poverty, enhance employability, and ultimately make public schooling aggressive with, and even superior to, non-public techniques.
Following is a Q & A with the minister:
Q: Schooling reform is commonly introduced however not often institutionalized. What would you describe as the most important systemic reform your Ministry has undertaken?
A: Schooling is a nationwide emergency, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan has clearly recognized key challenges: out-of-school youngsters, studying poverty, employability, and weak linkages between trade and academia.
Quite than remoted interventions, we’re working towards constructing an entire schooling ecosystem primarily based on accountability and transparency. All establishments are being aligned beneath a unified construction. Digitization has been central to this reform, together with lowering discretionary human intervention.
Our Ministry was among the many first to shift fully to e-office techniques. Monetary administration, procurement, and operational processes are actually digitized. Complaints and grievances are addressed via the Prime Minister’s Supply Unit, and processes involving officers and subordinates are totally on-line. For instance, within the Federal Board, examiner choice, paper checking, and evaluation processes are actually carried out digitally. This shift towards digitization is one in every of our main achievements.
Q: Out-of-school youngsters stay a significant concern. How is the Ministry addressing this problem, particularly for ladies?
A: Out-of-school youngsters are certainly a severe subject. Out of roughly a million out-of-school youngsters, greater than 50 p.c are women.
The causes will not be solely monetary but additionally social and cultural. Our interventions subsequently handle entry, retention, and dropout charges past the first stage. We’re working to scale back dropout via focused insurance policies and consciousness campaigns that think about gender-specific boundaries.
Q: What reforms are being launched on the greater schooling stage, significantly via HEC?
A: On the greater schooling stage, the Greater Schooling Fee is present process an entire transformation that can change the panorama of upper schooling in Pakistan in type of program: Maktab. With help from the World Financial institution, an eight-component undertaking is being carried out primarily based on three pillars: administrative, monetary, and human useful resource reform. By SAP-based ERP techniques, monetary administration and HR processes are being streamlined.
College postings, transfers, promotions, and efficiency administration are all being dealt with digitally. The whole pupil lifecycle, from admission to commencement, scholarships, hostels, complaints, and educational data, is being managed via built-in digital platforms. Studying Administration Programs are additionally being expanded to help blended and on-line schooling.
Q: Psychological well being is more and more acknowledged as a difficulty to be on precedence. Is the Ministry addressing pupil wellbeing?
A: Sure. Psychological well being initiatives are being launched initially as pilot tasks in chosen faculties. These embody not solely profession counseling but additionally emotional and psychological counseling, supplied via skilled professionals.
We’re additionally specializing in eliminating corporal punishment, enhancing trainer coaching, and introducing life abilities schooling, together with monetary literacy-teaching college students find out how to handle cash and act as accountable residents.
Q: What steps have been taken to enhance governance and transparency in admissions and administration?
A: BS Admissions in Federal Directorate of Schooling faculties have been digitised, we’re engaged on scaling this up within the close to future. Purposes, choice, and processing are carried out on-line to get rid of discretion and guarantee transparency. Our focus is on strengthening techniques in order that accountability and readability are embedded structurally, not depending on people.
Q: How is Synthetic Intelligence being launched into curriculum?
A: Synthetic Intelligence is being launched step by step. On the main stage, will probably be provided as non-credit publicity. From grades 9 to 12, AI might be accessible as an elective topic alongside laptop science.
We’re additionally introducing new skill-based curricula past conventional topics like physics and chemistry, together with allied well being sciences and vocational pathways, to make sure employability and livelihood sustainability.
Q: Critics say public schooling lags behind in vital pondering and creativity. How do you reply?
A: Our lecturers are recruited via the Federal Public Service Fee, guaranteeing merit-based choice. Curriculum reforms are underway to align schooling with world tendencies whereas embedding vital pondering, tolerance, and inclusivity. Stakeholder engagement is central to curriculum growth, and reforms are being optimized constantly quite than carried out in isolation.
Q: Are there initiatives addressing vitamin and bodily growth in faculties?
A: Sure. A scorching meal program has been launched in roughly 100 main faculties to deal with stunting, iron deficiency, and different dietary points. 80 p.c of funding comes from the Ministry, with 20 p.c contributed by companion organizations. Youngsters get to decide on their very own menus.
Q: What infrastructure enhancements are being made in faculties?
A: Colleges are being geared up with STEM and STEAM labs, IT infrastructure, laptop labs, interactive studying areas, and podcast rooms. These amenities assist college students develop communication abilities, cultural consciousness, creativity, and inclusivity.
Minority illustration and non secular inclusivity are additionally being mirrored in curricula via session with spiritual leaders and communities.
Q: Any concluding remarks?
A: Schooling reform is a long-term course of. Our intention is to construct techniques which are clear, accountable, inclusive, and aligned with future world needs-so public schooling can compete with and ultimately surpass non-public techniques
