Noman Ali Shah
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) finds itself at a crossroads in education policy, where short-term experiments are being presented as reform but reveal the depth of systemic decay. The provincial government’s decision to replace the outdated annual examination system up to grade eight with a two-semester model is being hailed as progressive. Officials argue that this shift will ease the burden on young learners, prevent the long gaps in study associated with annual exams, and lighten schoolbags through smaller textbooks. At first glance, the move seems sensible, even innovative. Yet education experts warn that such measures are not being driven by vision but by desperation. The harsh reality is that a majority of students are failing their middle school examinations, a crisis so grave that tinkering with the calendar cannot hide it.
The second and more controversial measure under consideration is the outsourcing or outright privatisation of thousands of public schools. This proposal, which would place state-run schools under private management, has already sparked alarm among teachers’ associations across K-P. They view the move as an existential threat to their livelihoods and an erosion of job security. Their protests are not unfounded. Without proper checks, a hasty privatisation initiative could worsen social inequality, undermine the principle of free education, and turn schools into profit-driven ventures rather than public service institutions.
At the same time, it would be disingenuous to ignore the fact that inefficiency, absenteeism, and entrenched complacency within the teaching cadre have played a central role in bringing K-P’s schools to their knees. Ghost teachers, who draw salaries without ever entering classrooms, remain a widespread problem. Infrastructure in many schools is crumbling, leaving students to study in dilapidated buildings with poor sanitation and inadequate seating. Parents in rural areas often prefer low-cost private schools not because they are better resourced but because they at least provide consistent teaching. In this context, the government’s flirtation with privatisation is less an innovation and more an act of surrender to the very crisis it should be fixing.
The province must resist the temptation to outsource responsibility and instead rebuild its public education system on stronger foundations. This requires structural reforms that go far beyond exam calendars. First, teacher accountability must be enforced with clarity and consistency. Performance evaluations, classroom monitoring, and strict action against absenteeism are not luxuries but essentials. Second, investment in infrastructure is urgently needed, especially in rural schools where lack of toilets, boundary walls, and proper classrooms continue to drive dropout rates, particularly among girls. Third, curriculum upgrades must be complemented by training that empowers teachers to adapt to modern pedagogical methods rather than cling to rote learning. Without addressing these core deficits, no reform will translate into improved learning outcomes.
Equally important is the recognition that education is not just a provincial subject but a constitutional responsibility of the state. Article 25-A of Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of five and sixteen. This is not a burden to be shifted onto private contractors or donors; it is a duty of governance. For K-P to abdicate this responsibility under the guise of efficiency would set a dangerous precedent. The state’s retreat from its most fundamental obligation risks abandoning millions of children to a fragmented system defined by inequality and opportunism.
The way forward must combine both accountability and investment. Schools should be equipped with adequate facilities, teachers trained and monitored, and students assessed in a way that measures comprehension rather than rote memorisation. Technology can play a role in bridging urban-rural divides, but only if deployed thoughtfully. Most importantly, reforms must be designed with the long-term goal of strengthening public education, not weakening it. Privatisation may provide temporary relief, but without systemic renewal it will merely deepen divides.
K-P’s education crisis is not just an administrative failure; it is a moral one. Each policy misstep represents another generation at risk of being denied its right to a dignified future. The provincial government must act decisively, but also wisely, to ensure that reforms are grounded in accountability, equity, and investment rather than expedient shortcuts. If education continues to be treated as a problem to be outsourced, then the province will fail not just its schools but its children.
