The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has expressed its support for Pakistan’s efforts to revamp the country’s education system through the Prime Minister’s Education Emergency Directives and the formulation of a National Education Emergency Framework. With nearly 26 million out-of-school children, especially girls, Pakistan is facing a critical need for reform. In response, the government is working on a unified national framework, incentivizing provincial efforts to improve access to education, reduce learning poverty, and build resilience in low-performing districts.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has urged Pakistan to consider adopting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education initiative, “Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society” (ULLAS), to address its dysfunctional education system and provide quality education. This recommendation comes in response to Pakistan’s request for financial support to reform its education sector and address the issue of out-of-school children.

The ADB proposed that Pakistan adopt a strategic, multi-stakeholder consultative approach, drawing from successful international models like India’s ULLAS program. This initiative aims to improve access to quality education and foster collaboration between federal and provincial governments. Federal Education Secretary Mohyundin Wani, known for his transformative work in Gilgit-Baltistan’s education sector, sought ADB’s assistance to create a centralized education mechanism for Pakistan.

While education falls under provincial jurisdiction in Pakistan, following the 18th constitutional amendment, there have been calls to standardised curricula across the country. Modi’s ULLAS scheme, launched for a five-year term, focuses on foundational literacy and numeracy while also covering essential 21st-century skills such as financial and digital literacy, healthcare awareness, and family welfare.

The Planning Commission of Pakistan recently released a report highlighting the poor state of the country’s education system. According to the District Education Performance Index Report 2023, none of Pakistan’s 134 districts were classified as high-performing, with 133 districts falling in the medium to low-performance categories. In response, the ADB has offered technical assistance to develop a strategy in collaboration with Pakistan’s National Education Taskforce. This proposal will be discussed at the Prime Minister’s Task Force, which the ADB considers the most suitable platform to reach a consensus on the necessary reforms.

Despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declaring an education emergency, Pakistan still faces significant challenges in improving its education system. The need for more coordinated efforts remains critical to producing graduates equipped for the demands of the digital age. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has expressed its support for the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Education Emergency Directives and the push to establish a National Education Emergency Framework. There is a growing consensus within Pakistan to implement a unified national framework with provincial leadership, focusing on accountability and execution. The country faces an urgent need to address the issue of nearly 26 million out-of-school children, particularly girls. To tackle this, the government plans to incentivize provinces to respond to the Prime Minister’s emergency measures, addressing access and learning poverty in low-performing districts with low human development indices. Additionally, the federal government intends to contribute funds for out-of-school children.

The Secretary of Education has requested ADB’s assistance in supporting school meal programs in the provinces and insuring school buildings against natural disasters. In response, the ADB has announced plans to leverage grants from its Japan Funds in Trust to enhance educational access for disadvantaged children through school meal programs in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The ADB is set to send a mission to Pakistan in the third week of October to assess the potential for a new implementation arrangement. This will involve the Federal Ministry as the executing agency and the provincial education departments as implementing agencies. Furthermore, ADB has committed to assisting in developing a registry for school buildings in high-risk disaster areas through technical assistance linked to the Climate and Disaster Resilience Programme. The financing plan for this initiative is expected to be presented to the ADB’s board by the end of the year.

In addition, the ADB plans to incorporate insurance for school buildings in high-risk areas under a broader insurance transformation program scheduled for approval in 2025. Currently, the ADB has provided $175 million in loans for two ongoing projects in Pakistan: the Improving Workforce Readiness in Punjab Project ($100 million) and the Sindh Education Sector Improvement Project ($75 million).

The ADB informed Pakistan that it will also fund the Punjab Secondary Education Improvement Programme and offer additional financing for the Pakistan Social Protection Development Project. The government is considering seeking an extension of the World Bank-funded Inclusive and Responsive Education (ASPIRE) project, initially implemented in response to the health pandemic.

The ADB’s continued engagement with Pakistan, from supporting school meal programs in disadvantaged provinces to developing disaster-resilient school infrastructure, reflects its commitment to helping the country address its education crisis. With additional funding for ongoing education projects and plans to incorporate school building insurance in high-risk areas, Pakistan’s partnership with the ADB is poised to make a significant impact. These efforts, coupled with the proposed National Education Emergency Framework, offer hope for meaningful progress in Pakistan’s education sector.