PAKISTAN
Sustainable Development Goal 4
Gap Analysis
Sustainable Development Goal 4
Gap Analysis
Ensure inclusive and quality education for all
and promote lifelong learning
Pakistan
2017
Contents
Foreword ............................................................................................................................. 5
Executive summary ............................................................................................................ 6
Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................... 10
1.1 Background ............................................................................................................... 10
1.2 Education 2030 in Pakistan ....................................................................................... 10
1.3 Organization of this report ......................................................................................... 12
Chapter 2: Unfinished agenda ......................................................................................... 14
2.1 EFA progress from Dakar to Incheon: 2001–2015 ..................................................... 14
2.2 National challenges in the context of SDG-4.............................................................. 14
2.3 Provincial/ area challenges in the context of SDG-4 .................................................. 17
Chapter 3: Education sector planning ............................................................................. 20
3.1 Summary analysis of the provincial education sector plans ....................................... 20
3.2 Implications, opportunities and challenges................................................................. 21
Chapter 4: Mainstreaming SDG-4 .................................................................................... 25
SDG 4.1 .......................................................................................................................... 25
SDG 4.2 .......................................................................................................................... 28
SDG 4.3 and 4.4.............................................................................................................. 31
SDG 4.5 .......................................................................................................................... 34
SDG 4.6 .......................................................................................................................... 37
SDG 4.7 .......................................................................................................................... 40
SDG 4.a .......................................................................................................................... 41
SDG 4.b .......................................................................................................................... 44
SDG 4.c........................................................................................................................... 45
Chapter 5: SDG-4 monitoring and evaluation ................................................................. 49
5.1 Monitoring SDG-4 indicators – summary analysis ...................................................... 49
5.2 Data availability by province/ area ............................................................................. 53
5.3 Global and national monitoring mechanisms ............................................................. 57
5.4 Provincial and area monitoring mechanisms.............................................................. 58
5.5 Education management information systems ............................................................ 59
Chapter 6: Implementation and way forward .................................................................. 60
6.1 Implementation .......................................................................................................... 60
6.2 Coordination .............................................................................................................. 60
6.3 Next steps ................................................................................................................. 61
Acronyms
AEPAM
AJK
ALP
ANER
BECS
CPD
DRR
ECD
ECCE
ECE
EFA
EMIS
ESP
FATA
GB
GER
GPI
HEC
ICT
IPEMC
JICA
KP
KPI
M&E
MICS
MoFEPT
NAVTTC
NCHD
NEAS
NEMIS
NEP
NFE
PSLM
SDG
TEVTA
TVET
UNDP
UNESCO
UNICEF
WASH
Academy of Educational Planning and Management
Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Alternate Learning Pathway
Adjusted Net Enrolment Ratio
Basic Education Community Schools
Continued Professional Development
Disaster Risk Reduction
Early Childhood Development
Early Childhood Care and Education
Early Childhood Education
Education For All
Education Management Information System
Education Sector Plan
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Gilgit-Baltistan
Gross Enrolment Ratio
Gender Parity Index
Higher Education Commission
Islamabad Capital Territory
Inter-Provincial Education Ministerial Conference
Japanese International Cooperation Agency
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Key Performance Indicators
Monitoring and Evaluation
Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training
National Vocational and Technical Training Commission
National Commission for Human Development
National Education Assessment System
National Education Management Information System
National Education Policy
Non-Formal Education
Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement
Sustainable Development Goal
Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority
Technical and Vocation Education and Training
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
United Nations Children’s Fund
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Foreword
5
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Executive summary
In 2015, the world embarked on an ambitious global agenda for education: Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) 4 – “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all”, to be achieved by 2030. The Incheon Declaration
constitutes the commitment of the education community to this goal and is accompanied by
the Education 2030 Framework for Action to achieve SDG-4.
In Pakistan, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT)
collaborates with provinces/ areas to spearhead the achievement of SDG-4. While all
provinces and areas have developed education sector plans, there are differing levels of
implementation depending on the degree to which subnational governments possess the
institutional structures to absorb recently devolved education functions.
This report synthesizes the findings of a series of provincial/ area gap analysis exercises to
assess trends in education sector planning across Pakistan, identify gaps in existing plans to
guide SDG-4 mainstreaming efforts in future planning, identify data requirements for
monitoring and evaluation, and delineate channels for coordination.
Pakistan faces severe challenges with regards to achieving SDG-4. Over 22.6 million
children aged 5–16 years are out of school and the adult literacy rate stands at 57 per cent.
There are severe inequities in access and quality, with substantial disparities by gender,
socioeconomic status and location, and the supply, training and qualifications of teachers
are inadequate. School environments are poor, and early childhood education (ECE) is not
uniformly available. The quality and provision of technical and vocational education and
training (TVET) is uneven. In addition, education is hampered by budgetary constraints,
weak governance, poverty, insecurity and frequent natural disasters.
However, Pakistan’s educational structure offers opportunities and entry points for the
achievement of SDG-4. Article 25-A of the Constitution guarantees 10 years of education,
and devolution and education sector planning for each province/ area gives opportunity for
customized approaches to specific concerns. MoFEPT is potentially a strong coordinating
body between provinces, areas, sectors and stakeholders, and the SDG-4 alignment
process offers an opportunity to collect high-quality data to inform future education planning.
The table below shows the key areas where further alignment is required and the actions
needed to achieve it:
SDG 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and
secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
Gaps:
Recommendations:








6
Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and
Kashmir (AJK) are yet to enact legislation to
implement Article 25-A.
Only Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Sindh
have enacted rules of business to implement
Article 25-A.
Provincial/ area curriculum implementation
frameworks.
Large-scale assessments are of varying quality;
sampled assessments lack influence on decisionmaking.
All education sector plans focus on governance
but oversight of madrassas is a challenge.
Poor links between alternate learning pathways for





Extend mandatory schooling to 12 years.
Pass legislation and rules of business in all
provinces/ areas.
AJK to update and approve its education sector
plan.
Develop quality-focused curriculum
implementation frameworks with robust review and
quality assurance mechanisms.
Develop joined-up assessment systems for
informed decision-making.
Incorporate madrassas into education oversight
structures.
Develop agreements to channel out of school
children from non-formal to formal education.
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan

out of school children and formal education.
Varying approaches to language policy.

Develop inclusive language policies.
SDG 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development,
care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
Gaps:
Recommendations:






Legislation on ECE provision only exists in Sindh.
ECE is not budgeted in public schooling.
Multi-sectoral coordination structures for ECE do
not exist.
Whilst ECE capacity development is included in
many education sector plans, there is no clear
action plan for professionalizing ECE personnel.
No structures for high quality integrated early
childhood development programmes and services.




Update laws and policies to include ECE with
funding provisions, independently of primary
schooling.
Explore opportunities for public-private
partnerships, e.g. voucher systems and
government oversight of private ECE.
Develop ECE qualification and recruitment
frameworks.
Integrate ECE into education sector plans using a
cross-sectoral and holistic whole-child approach.
Enhance cross-sectoral linkages creating unified
early childhood development framework and
linking with the First 1,000 Days approach to child
health and wellbeing.
SDG 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical,
vocational and tertiary education, including university.
SDG 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills,
including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
Gaps:
Recommendations:




TVET and tertiary education are not covered in
education sector plans.
TVET initiatives have generally had a poor rate of
success.
Tertiary education is governed by the HEC Vision
2025.


Develop collaboration mechanisms and clear
understanding with the Higher Education
Commission (HEC) to ensure a joined-up equityfocused approach and data collection towards
SDG targets related to higher education.
Support development of TVET Policy with
demand-driven approach and review of schoolbased TVET provision.
Enhance collaborations related to TVET with both
private sector and other government departments.
SDG 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of
education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous
peoples and children in vulnerable situations.
Gaps:
Recommendations:




While gender is a major focus, other inequities and
forms of discrimination are not always explicitly
addressed in policies and budgets or through
disaggregated data.
No province/ area monitors exclusions so as to
capture a range of vulnerabilities.
No systems exist to monitor education frameworks
through a gender and human rights lens.



Budgeted policies on gender, equity and inclusion
along multiple axes of vulnerability.
Adoption of the School Safety Framework, and
inclusion of child-centred disaster risk reduction by
GB and AJK.
A Gender and Human Rights Unit at federal level
to provide consultancy services policy, planning,
budgetary, training and curriculum reviews.
Strengthened focus on inclusive education, with
horizontal linkages with social welfare and youth
development departments, and communities.
SDG 4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women,
achieve literacy and numeracy.
Gaps:
Recommendations:




Significant gender gap in adult and youth literacy.
Literacy programmes do not systematically include
numeracy, and have an inadequate emphasis on
functional literacy.
Literacy programmes use a range of mechanisms,
models and institutional structures including
private and civil society providers.


Drive forward the non-formal education (NFE)
agenda, including uniform definitions, assessment
frameworks and data collection.
Develop strategies to identify and scale up
successful models.
Partner with employers in industries with high
proportions of vulnerable employees.
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SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
SDG 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote
sustainable development, including, among others, education for sustainable development and
sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence,
global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable
development.
Gaps:
Recommendations:




Not currently included in provincial and area
education sector plans.
Requires substantial conceptual and
methodological development.
Militancy, sectarianism, climate change and
disaster risks make this a critical target for
Pakistan.


MoFEPT to take a convening role to encourage
cross-sectoral collaboration and define locally
appropriate global citizenship education.
Provincial and area education departments to
articulate global citizenship targets in their sector
plans, refining existing strategies, relating to local
needs, and incorporating into lifetime education.
Incorporate the values of global citizenship,
tolerance and environmentalism into pre- and inservice teacher training.
SDG 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide
safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
Gaps:
Recommendations:





All provinces/ areas recognize the need to fill
severe gaps in school supply and infrastructure.
No comprehensive strategies to ensure schools
are safe and free of violence.
Resource allocation is not systematically targeted
at schools and locations with greatest need.
Supportive structures to prevent and address
corporal punishment and harassment are not in
place.



Develop and implement inclusive Safe School
strategies implemented in partnership with
communities.
Following NFE policy development, provision of
adequate space for NFE and adult education.
Explicit strategies against corporal punishment
linked to child protective systems, with community
participation.
Nationally agreed minimum standards for child
friendly schools.
SDG 4.b: By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing
countries, in particular least developed countries, Small Island Developing States and African countries,
for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications
technology, technical, engineering and scientific programs, in developed countries and other developing
countries.
Gaps:
Recommendations:



Tertiary education falls under purview of the HEC
Vision 2025, not provincial education sector plans.
HEC plan identifies disadvantaged students in
terms of gender balance and “under-served
areas”.


Develop strong collaboration with HEC to develop
contextualized definitions of “disadvantaged”
students eligible for support.
Align existing bursaries and funding streams with
broader plans to include disadvantaged students.
Enhance private sector collaborations to sponsor
bursaries and places for specific groups.
SDG 4.c: By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international
cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and Small
Island Developing States.
Gaps:
Recommendations:





There is a severe shortage of qualified female
teachers.
Education sector plans do not consistently apply a
strong gender and equity focus to recruitment,
remuneration, management, of teachers, or
provide for institutionalized social dialogue.
Teachers are not consistently provided key skills,
such as multi-grade teaching and use of IT in
teaching.
Continuous professional development (CPD)
frameworks and certification systems are not yet
uniform.




8
Develop clear recruitment and management
policies strong gender focus.
Explore innovative strategies to increase qualified
female teachers including transferable
qualifications, incentive structures and civil society
partnerships.
Enhance coordination on training, qualification,
certification and CPD frameworks, and incorporate
IT, multi-grade teaching and inclusiveness.
Enhance focus on gender-focused recruitment and
management to create more gender-positive and
empowered workforce.
Evaluate mechanisms for institutionalized social
dialogue with teachers.
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Achieving the SDGs requires a strong emphasis on monitoring, evaluation and quality data
collection. As such, SDG indicators should be an integral part of education sector plan
monitoring and evaluation frameworks, which in turn should be aligned with regional,
thematic and global monitoring for SDGs.
Monitoring and evaluation is led by the Academy of Educational Planning & Management
and integrated with provincial/ area networks extending to district levels. While substantial
data is collected through education management information systems and other means,
there is a need to finetune indicators, coordinate with other bodies, and draw on household
surveys.
The table below shows the current situation with respect to data availability.
Available
SDG 4.1
SDG 4.2
SDG 4.3–4
SDG 4.5
SDG 4.6
SDG 4.7
SDG 4.a
SDG 4.b
SDG 4.c
Available from other
sources
Learning, completion,
participation, gross intake
Pre-primary enrolment
Overage children
Enrolment, participation
(HEC, NAVTTC)
Equity cross-targets
Literacy (PSLM)
Water, sanitation (partial)
Not currently available
School attacks (partial; other
organizations)
Readiness, ECE participation.
Previous year’s participation,
skills
Mother tongue, allocations
NFE/ literacy participation,
functional literacy
All indicators to be defined
Handwashing, information
technology, accessibility, safe
environment
HEC
Qualification and training
(partial)
Teacher motivation, support
An implementation plan has been proposed to enhance alignment of education sector
planning with Education 2030:

Phase I: Consolidation – Review of all provincial/ area education sector plans to create
an understanding of gaps and opportunities for alignment with SDG-4 implementing
strategies.

Phase II: Implementation – Develop a five year Action Plan on mainstreaming SDG-4 in
education sector plans and track budgetary allocations for related areas.

Phase III: Coordination and Monitoring – Coordination at the national level will be led by
MoFEPT, which will liaise with provincial/ area education departments.
To achieve SDG-4 in Pakistan, the next step is for MoFEPT to work with provinces, areas
and sector partners to:

Realign and prioritize policy goals and targets.

Identify and address implications for individual and joint planning processes.

Address implications for education coordination and management.

Address capacity gaps.

Meaningfully address implications related to finances and human resources.
9
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background
In 2015, the world embarked upon
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development,
which
included
ambitious global commitments to
education
in
the
form
of
Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG) 4:
Ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for
all.
To achieve this ambitious agenda,
UNESCO Member States have
adopted the Education 2030
Framework for Action.
Education 2030 proposes ways of implementing, coordinating, financing and monitoring
efforts to achieve equal education opportunities for all. It includes indicative strategies for
countries to contextualize in light of their realities, capacities and existing policies and
priorities. It represents a serious attempt at providing guidelines for overcoming deficits in
implementing global reform.
The vision for Education 2030 is articulated in the Incheon Declaration, which constitutes a
firm commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, recognizing the
important role of education as a primary driver of development.
The Incheon Declaration affirms that successful implementation lies in the government’s
sphere of responsibility. It reiterates the need for legal and policy frameworks that promote
accountability, transparency, participatory governance and coordinated partnerships.
The declaration recognizes the urgent need for countries to commit adequate resources for
education, including human, financial and technical, as well as the political will to take the
steps required to achieve the goals of Education 2030.
Efforts to achieve SDG-4 are underpinned by a need for strong global, regional and SouthSouth collaboration. Streamlined coordination mechanisms, from the international to the
national and sub-national or implementation levels, are critical for effective monitoring and
accountability.
1.2 Education 2030 in Pakistan
Article 37-B of the Constitution of Pakistan (1973) provides that:
The State shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary
education within minimum possible period.
However, this right remained non-judiciable for nearly 40 years. With the 18th Amendment in
2010, Article 25-A enshrined the right to education for all children aged 5–16 years into the
Constitution:
10
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of
five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law.
In 2010, the 18th Amendment also devolved responsibility for education to the provinces
which subsequently developed education sector plans to guide their efforts to achieve
national education goals.
At the centre, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT)
coordinates with international development partners and provides a platform to provincial/
area departments of education for exchange of information and to create synergy,
synchronization and harmony. In collaboration and coordination with provinces/ areas, the
MoFEPT fulfils this mandate by spearheading the implementation of Education 2030/ SDG-4
in Pakistan.
The MoFEPT regularly convenes the Inter-Provincial Education Ministerial Conference
(IPEMC) to discuss key issues and make recommendations. In the context of a newly
decentralized education system, the IPEMC has an emergent role in coordinating
experience-sharing and policy coherence.
Devolution offers opportunities to develop locally relevant, targeted approaches to education
planning, but also raises challenges, particularly with the significant variations in capacity
and resourcing between provinces and areas. For example the areas, particularly GilgitBaltistan (GB) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), where administrative
structures are relatively new, do not receive a share of revenue through National Finance
Commission Awards.
Within all provinces and areas, primary and secondary education falls under the provincial/
area departments of education. Responsibility for other aspects of education included under
SDG-4 varies. The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) is the
federal-level apex body that regulates, facilitates and provides policy direction for technical
and vocation education and training (TVET), Technical Education and Vocational Training
Authorities (TEVTA) act at provincial level, along with departments of industries or social
welfare. Higher education is administered by the federal Higher Education Commission
(HEC), and/ or a provincial/ area body. Non-formal education (NFE), a critical need given
Pakistan’s large population of out of school children, is delivered by a range of public and
private providers including the Basic Education Community Schools (BECS), National
Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and various provincial structures and civil
society providers.
The 18th Amendment provided provinces with significant legislative, fiscal and administrative
autonomy, and offers significant opportunities for education, including efficient resource
allocation and public service delivery, participatory development and highly focused
initiatives that address specific needs at provincial and district levels.
However, the process of decentralization also poses challenges. Devolved institution
building is focused at the provincial level; lower tiers of governance lack capacity and face
administrative challenges, and are yet to foster local accountability and inclusiveness. Nor
are robust local mechanisms in place to reach out to marginalized children within
communities such as ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, nomadic children or those from
the most socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, or girls and transgender children.
This occurs in social and cultural contexts in which education – especially for girls – is not
highly valued. Creating community commitment to education such that all children learn, and
all citizens have the opportunity to learn throughout their lives, is contingent on increasing
11
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
the perceived value of education. This is only possible with high-quality learning that
demonstrably leads to better life prospects for girls and boys alike.
Whilst all education sector plans in Pakistan generally follow the direction set by the effort to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals by providing access to education, much remains
to be done to align education delivery along the SDG-4 agenda’s broader emphasis on
quality, equity, and a focus on relevant and effective life-long learning.
Pakistan’s long overdue census in 2017 highlighted the challenges of its growing population.
With a population of 207.8 million, Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world,
with a higher-than-expected annual growth rate of 2.4 percent,1 a full percentage point
above the average for lower middle income countries.2 Despite this growing population, the
share of education in provincial budgets has remained stagnant or declined.3 Thus,
achieving Education 2030 will require renewed commitment at national and provincial/ area
levels to provide political and financial support to education.
In 2016–2017, provincial and area education stakeholders conducted a series of gap
analysis exercises on SDG-4. These identified areas where education sector plans were
already aligned with recommended implementation strategies to achieve SDG-4, as well as
entry points for refocused planning; assessed the availability of monitoring data; and
articulated implementation plans to bring education sector planning into alignment with
Education 2030.
The purpose of this national report is to synthesize the findings of the provincial and area
gap analyses in order to assess trends in provincial and area education sector planning
across Pakistan; identify gaps in existing plans to guide SDG-4 mainstreaming efforts in
future planning; identify data requirements for monitoring and evaluation; and delineate
channels for federal coordination between provinces/ areas and between sectors.
1.3 Organization of this report
Chapter 1 lays out the rationale and background of the SDG-4 agenda and the process
established for its implementation in Pakistan.
Chapter 2 elaborates the background of past efforts in education, describing Pakistan’s
performance on the EFA and MDGs, and challenges at the national as well as the provincial
and regional levels.
Chapter 3 discusses education sector planning in Pakistan’s provinces and areas. It gives a
brief summary of the implications, opportunities and challenges to SDG-4 alignment across
Pakistan.
Chapter 4 analyses the degree to which provincial and area education sector plans are
aligned with the recommended implementing strategies for achieving SDG-4. Where
appropriate, a table is provided showing the alignment of current education sector plans with
the implementing strategies.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (2017) “Provisional summary results of the sixth population and housing census
2017”. Available at http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/provisional-summary-results-6th-population-and-housingcensus-2017-0
1
2
World Bank data on annual population growth. Available at:
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW
3
Institute of Social and Policy Science (2016). Public financing of education in Pakistan: Analysis of federal,
provincial and district budgets 2010–11 to 2016–2017. Available at: http://isaps.org/upload/report_publications/docs/1496496299.pdf
12
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Chapter 5 assesses data availability for the indicators for SDG-4 targets and discusses
monitoring mechanisms across provinces and areas, up to national and global levels.
Chapter 6 provides a brief overview of existing and proposed national mechanisms for
coordinating the achievement of SDG-4 across provinces and areas.
13
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Chapter 2: Unfinished agenda
2.1 EFA progress from Dakar to Incheon: 2001–2015
Two major education policy
interventions governed education
during this period: the National
Education Policy 1998–2010, and
the National Education Policy
2009. The latter served as a
reference and source of guidance
for
planners
and
education
managers to widen access and
improve quality of education.
However, an effective institutional
mechanism
for
coordinating
Pakistan-wide “Education For All”
(EFA) was weak, inconsistent and
lacked institutional support from
2001 to 2010.4
Progress against key indicators: 2001/2002 to 2013/2014
Indicator
2001/2002
2013/2014
Early childhood care and education (ECCE) gross enrolment
28%
71%
ratio (GER)
Primary adjusted net enrolment ratio (ANER)
57%
72%
Adult literacy
47%
58%
Primary ANER gender parity index (GPI)
0.72
0.87
Effective transition rate (primary to lower secondary)
71%
82%
Availability of drinking water
49%
61%
Source: Pakistan Education Statistics 2013–2014
Target (2015)
100%
73%
1
100%
100%
Following devolution in 2010, education became a provincial subject but it was agreed that
the National Education Policy 2009 would continue to guide planning whilst provinces and
areas developed education sector plans (ESP). The MoFEPT took on a coordinating role,
organizing the IPEMC for information-sharing and planning. In 2017, a new National
Education Policy was approved with buy-in from all provinces and areas that includes goals
and objectives aligned with Education 2030.
2.2 National challenges in the context of SDG-4
The Education for All Review Report 2015 found that key challenges to education in
Pakistan relate to lack of access, poor quality of education, equity and governance. Other
influencing factors include budgetary constraints and weak management, which indirectly
accentuate lack of access and poor quality; and external factors such as poverty, insecurity,
and devastation caused by natural disasters. These challenges interlink with poor teaching
quality and absenteeism, truancy, lack of textbooks, etc. The cumulative effect is to reduce
interest and motivation among students who are prone to dropping out from school, and with
continuing implications for the achievement of SDG-4.
Although the National Education Policy 2009 addressed many of Pakistan’s major issues in
education, envisaged strategic actions and provided clear targets, an adequate
implementation mechanism could not be instituted. Coordination was further weakened with
4
UNESCO/ Ministry of Education (2014). Education for All 2015 National review report: Pakistan. Available at:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002297/229718E.pdf
14
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
devolution and the lack of adequate mechanisms for shared strategies, resources and
implementation; as systems were forced to adjust to new realities, procedural delays and
financial and technical issues ensued.
Access to education. While all provinces/ areas have seen steady increases in primary
enrolment since 2005–2006, reaching a nation-wide primary ANER for children aged 5–9
years of 77 per cent in 2015–2016, severe inequities remain. Islamabad Capital Territory
(ICT), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab exceed the national average while Balochistan,
FATA, Sindh, GB and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are below average. Girls generally
have much lower ANER rates than boys. While access to education has improved, the
effective transition rate from primary to lower secondary school is 82 per cent, falling as low
as 53 per cent for FATA girls. There are 5.0 million children of primary school age who are
out of school, of whom 49 per cent are girls.5
About 18.8 children are enrolled in primary school, of whom 10.4 million (55 per cent) are
boys and 8.3 million (45 per cent) are girls. About 77 per cent of children of primary school
age are enrolled. In the public sector, the number of children enrolled in primary school has
remained almost flat over the five year period from 2011–2012 to 2015–2016. Due to a
range of reasons (including shortage of nearby schools, teacher shortage and absenteeism,
poor teaching quality, poor school environment, family poverty, insecurity, natural disasters
and other factors), 33 per cent drop out before completing primary school.6
Quality of education. In 2014, the National Education Assessment System (NEAS)
evaluated attainment in Urdu (reading and writing), Mathematics, English (reading and
writing) and Science by representative samples of Grade 4 and 8 students.7 It found that:

Amongst Grade 8 students, only 31 per cent are proficient or advanced in Urdu reading
and 2 per cent are proficient or advanced in Urdu writing.

In Mathematics only 23 per cent are proficient or advanced at Grade 8 level.

Amongst Grade 4 students, 35 per cent are proficient or advanced in English reading
and 14 per cent in English writing.

In Mathematics only 16 per cent are proficient or advanced at Grade 4 level.
This poor quality of education arises from low teaching capabilities due to an acute shortage
of well-trained and motivated teachers, unavailability of quality learning materials provided in
a timely manner, and a poor school environment. Curricula and assessment systems
promote role learning and often fall short of international standards.
A National Curriculum Council was established in 2014. Minimum Standards for Quality
Education were developed following inter-provincial consultations and approved by the
IPEMC in 2016.
Inequities in education. There is a persistent gender gap in all aspects of education. Early
childhood education (ECE)/ pre-primary enrolment rates are higher for boys than for girls.
Adult female literacy is shockingly low (18 per cent) in Balochistan, with significant gaps
between male and female literacy rates in all four provinces.8 Despite an average primary
5
Pakistan Education Statistics 2015–2016.
6
Ibid.
7
National Education Assessment System (NEAS) National Achievement Test 2014. Available at:
http://library.aepam.edu.pk/Books/NEAS%20National%20Assessment%20Study%20Report%202014.pdf
8
Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) 2014–2015. Available at
http://www.pbs.gov.pk/node/1650
15
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
ANER of 85 per cent, KP displays a considerable gap (21 per cent) between male and
female rates.9 Transgender persons are even further marginalized. Large inequities also
exist by district, rural/ urban location, socioeconomic background, religious, linguistic and
caste affiliation, disability and nomadic or refugee status. Since data collection does not
necessarily disaggregate by all these factors, and private education/ religious schools
(madrassas) are not fully captured in national statistics, the degree of inequity in education is
not always fully understood.
Budgetary constraints. Since devolution, Pakistan has seen gradual increases in
education budgets; from 2012–2013 to 2016–2017, allocations have risen by 51 per cent.10
However the expenditure on education as a proportion of GDP remains inadequate at 2.6
per cent in 2015, below the average of 3.0 per cent across South Asia.11 This remains far
below the lower end of the range of 4–6 per cent recommended in the Incheon Declaration.
At the provincial level, in 2016–2017, allocations to education were 17 per cent of the total
budget in Balochistan, 18 per cent in Punjab, 20 per cent in Sindh, and 24 per cent in KP.
However, a significant proportion (79–90 per cent) of education budget allocations are to
recurrent budgets, which, in turn, have significant shares allocated to salaries.12
In 2015–2016, 9–15 per cent of the allocated education budgets remained unspent, and
shortfalls were particularly notable in development expenditure. Punjab spent 56 per cent of
its allocated development budget for education, Sindh 77 per cent, Balochistan 79 per cent
and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 91 per cent. Thus, there is a need to improve spending and
efficiency to ensure that allocated budgets do not remain unspent due to shortfalls in
evidence-based planning, management and monitoring.13
Weak governance. Sustained high-quality capacity and a conducive environment are
needed to effectively implement education policies and plans but district and provincial
education planners and managers often lack expertise. Financial constraints and recruitment
policies contribute to inadequate school supervision, which may in turn lead to irregular or
low quality service delivery by teachers and support staff. Community participation is not
effective, thus educational quality is not adequately monitored.
External factors. High poverty levels contribute to child labour, especially among boys,
resulting in high dropout rates from school. Girls, too, tend to drop out in large numbers to
help at home and to care for elders and younger siblings.
Pakistan has experienced violent militancy in the past decade, with educational institutions,
especially girls’ schools, regularly targeted. Security concerns have thus discouraged
parents from sending their children, particularly girls, to school.
Amidst regular natural disasters, two have been particularly devastating for education: a
2005 earthquake that destroyed over 6,000 schools in KP and AJK, and in 2010 and 2011,
country-wide floods that damaged schools or turned them into temporary shelters. As
climate change takes hold, Pakistan is increasingly prone to such events at large and small
9
Pakistan Education Statistics 2015–2016.
10
I-SAPS (2016). Public financing of education in Pakistan: Analysis of federal, provincial and district budgets
2010–2011 to 2016–2017.
11
World Bank data on education spending. Available at:
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS?locations=PK-8S&year_high_desc=false
12
I-SAPS (2016). Public financing of education in Pakistan: 2010–2011 to 2016–2017.
13
Ibid.
16
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
scale, and there is a need to integrate and mainstream school safety planning and disaster
risk reduction (DRR) in the education sector.
SDG-4 has a strong focus on education and learning throughout the lifecycle, from preprimary through adulthood. As such, achieving SDG-4 requires not only a strong focus on
basic education, but attention to other education sub-sectors.
Early childhood education (ECE). There are no separate public sector pre-primary
institutions, however some primary schools provide one-year pre-primary (‘katchi’) education
without allocated resources or teachers. As such, the total enrolment at pre-primary stage
was 8.7 million in 2015–2016, of which 4.5 million (52 per cent) was in the public sector and
4.2 million (48 per cent) in the private sector.14 Since 2000, all provinces/ areas have seen
steady increases in ECE participation. While Punjab and KP demonstrate the highest gross
enrolment, progress is also strong in Sindh.
Technical and vocational education and training. At the federal level, NAVTTC is
mandated by the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission Act, 2011, with
devising institutional standards for TVET providers, and skills standards for trainees,
developing curricula, a national qualification framework, analysing labour market information,
training trainers and entering into public-private partnerships for TVET. Separate TEVTA
bodies oversee TVET provision and accreditation in the four provinces and AJK. There are
3,746 accredited TVET institutions nation-wide, of which 70 per cent are in the private sector
which, however, accounts for only 56 per cent of the total enrolment of 0.315 million (36 per
cent female).15 However, TVET has long been a neglected area in Pakistan. The centres
that exist are ill-equipped, and are not oriented towards emerging market needs.16 TVET has
never been successfully integrated into secondary education and a meaningful qualification
framework has not yet been developed and implemented.
Adult literacy. An estimated 52 million adults (aged 15+ years) remain illiterate, of whom 62
per cent are women. Although youth (15–24 years old) literacy rates have increased, the
pace remains slow, rising from 63 per cent in 2001/2002 to 72 per cent in 2012/2013. Punjab
has seen the highest rate of increase (75 per cent), closely followed by Sindh (70 per cent).
However, data on functional literacy or numeracy is unavailable.
Tertiary education. Since 2002, higher education has been governed by the HEC through a
series of five-year reform plans. Between 2010 and 2015, Pakistan experienced a 174 per
cent increase in student enrolment.17 Funding for higher education remains low by
international standards.
2.3 Provincial/ area challenges in the context of SDG-4
Balochistan. Balochistan’s scattered population amidst a large and rugged landscape
poses specific challenges to SDG-4. A huge number of settlements (10,000 out of 22,000)
are believed to lack schools altogether. Teacher capacity and poor community awareness
are also challenges. However, in recent years Balochistan has received Global Partnership
for Education support to improve access, quality and equity, and improve monitoring. Under
this support, joint sector reviews are regularly conducted that offer opportunities for feedback
loops and evidence-based improvement of its ESP.
14
Pakistan Education Statistics 2015–2016.
15
Ibid.
16
National TVET Policy Task Group (2014). Skills for growth and development: A draft national Technical and
Vocational Education and Training Policy – Consultation document.
17 Higher Education Commission. (2016). Overall assessment of the higher education sector. Available at:
http://hec.gov.pk/english/universities/projects/TESP/Documents/FR-Assessment%20HE%20Sector.pdf
17
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Geography, natural disasters and insecurity all pose
challenges to education in KP. Cultural reasons also contribute to low school attendance and
high drop out rates by girls. In recent years, the province hosted large numbers of displaced
peoples from neighbouring FATA which strained limited education services. In recent years
the province’s major focus has been on strengthening governance to underpin future efforts
to improve quality of education.
Punjab. Punjab has stronger indicators than other provinces and areas, and has taken a
lead in shifting focus towards quality. However challenges in equity remain. Whilst the
gender gap has narrowed, over 11.4 million children are of school. There are significant
disparities within Punjab between, for example, the northern districts and the very low
development indicators in the south which was also severely affected by flooding in 2010–
2012. Quality is hampered by weak capacity of teachers. A large number of students are in
registered or unregistered private education, which use a wide range of curricula.
Sindh. Sindh is home to Karachi, one of the world’s largest cities. The province
demonstrates extreme inequalities: for example, 4.8 per cent of people in Karachi live in
multidimensional poverty (including education dimensions) compared to 78.5 per cent in
neighbouring Thatta district.18 Thus, provincial data often conceals severe disadvantages
due to the inclusion of Karachi. Sindh was severely affected by floods in 2010–2012, with 14
per cent of all public sector schools destroyed. Like Balochistan, Sindh is the recipient of
Global Partnership for Education support which focuses on systems strengthening (including
the development of human resource monitoring system) and programme support.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The self-governing state of AJK has still not passed
legislation guaranteeing free and compulsory quality education. Nor has it approved an
education sector plan. Further challenges are posed as AJK does not receive a National
Finance Commission award and thus struggles to finance education. Moreover it is still
developing mechanisms to mobilize and coordinate donor support, collect education data,
and coordinate amongst stakeholders.
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). FATA lags behind the rest of the country in
education, particularly for girls. This is exacerbated by the security situation which led to
militant activity directed at education and millions of people experiencing displacement.
Whilst most of those displaced have returned, there is an ongoing need to rebuild education
infrastructure. Availability of teachers is a major concern due to low adult literacy and cultural
restrictions on women’s movement. Whilst using many of KP’s education services
(curriculum and assessment, for example), FATA is federally administered. It is presently in
transition as it undergoes “mainstreaming” to correct its anomalous position within the
federation. This anomalous status leads to multi-layered decision-making structures and
politicization, making structural change in education difficult to achieve.
Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). GB is not constitutionally a province, but has de facto province-like
status since the GB Empowerment Act 2009. It is still in the process of developing policy
frameworks and institutional structures and, like AJK, faces budgetary limitations as it does
not receive a National Finance Commission award. GB’s extremely mountainous terrain and
harsh winters render access to education a particular concern. There are also major
challenges to quality and governance structures. Moreover, evidence-based policy making is
hampered as GB is not covered in many important Pakistan-wide surveys.
18
Planning Commission of Pakistan, UNDP Pakistan & OPHI, University of Oxford (2016). Multidimensional
poverty in Pakistan. Available at:
http://www.pk.undp.org/content/pakistan/en/home/library/hiv_aids/Multidimensional-Poverty-in-Pakistan.html
18
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). ICT is governed by the federal government through the
Ministry of Capital Administration and Development which is responsible for primary and
secondary education while tertiary education and TVET come under MoFEPT; coordination
mechanisms are inadequate. ICT has the best education indicators in Pakistan and is unique
in having a gender parity index exceeding 1 at primary level. Specific challenges include the
widening gap between a rapidly increasing population and establishment of new schools,
and the complexity of post-devolution administration. These contribute to poor teaching
quality, truancy, lack of updated learning materials, teacher training and infrastructure, lack
of complementary academic facilities and inadequate educational planning.
19
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Chapter 3: Education sector planning
3.1 Summary analysis of the provincial education sector plans
All provincial and area ESPs take
as their primary focuses, access,
quality and governance, with
varying emphases within these.
Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan
ESPs are generally well-aligned
with SDG-4, including strategies
related to areas such as access,
quality and governance. GB, FATA
and ICT ESPs show a fair degree
of alignment. With most ESPs now
in the second halves of their
cycles, there is an opportunity to
identify entry points for SDG-4 to
incorporate the latter’s priorities
firmly into national, provincial, area and district planning.
Generally provincial ESPs cover basic education, though some also include NFE and
literacy. Furthermore, ESPs only cover public schooling, despite the significant proportion of
Pakistani children in private education (37 per cent).19 Education sub-sectors that are
included in SDG-4, such as ECE and TVET, may be guided by separate provincial policies
and plans, but are not typically included in ESPs.
As such, all ESPs that were formulated before Education 2030 show a need for a sectorwide, holistic approach to lifelong education, from ECD through formal and informal
schooling, TVET and tertiary education. Whilst it is not expected that the ESPs should cover
all areas under SDG-4, developing linkages and coordination mechanisms with the
appropriate stakeholders is essential for the success of this holistic approach.
Inclusive education, is another clear gap. Although its importance is acknowledged, the
concept is rarely examined in any detail or understood to encompass more than children
with disabilities. The lack of disaggregated data along various dimensions of vulnerability lies
at the heart of this gap.
The Balochistan ESP (2013–2018) places a high value on governance and management,
as part of its strategic move towards decentralization in a province with small settlements
scattered over a vast area. This geography informs many of its access related strategies,
such as upgrading existing schools to offer higher levels of education, and community-based
schooling models. Quality and management are also priority areas. As a beneficiary of the
Global Partnership for Education, Balochistan conducts regular joint education sector
reviews and has constituted local and district education groups. This structure, which brings
together government and a wide range of development partners, enables education sector
planning to be responsive and data driven and provides a foundation for SDG-4 coordination
in the future. This is particularly useful at district level, where institutional structures are often
weakest.
The KP ESP (2014/15–2019/20) is an outlier within Pakistan in being, effectively, the first
half of a ten-year education programme that includes within its strategic objectives the
19
Pakistan Education Statistics 2015–2016.
20
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
development of ESP 2020. The lesson it draws from shortfalls in achieving EFA is that there
is a need to lay a foundation of strong education governance, access, teacher capacity and
school facilities before significant action can be taken on areas such as quality, provision of
TVET, adult education, special education or ECE (guided by a separate policy), all of which
are to be included in a new ESP from 2020.
The Punjab ESP (2013–2017) runs in parallel with successive phases of the long-running
World Bank-supported Punjab Education Sector Reform Project. The province also runs
regular enrolment campaigns. The ESP is intended to implement Article 25-A of the
Constitution, improve quality, equity and governance, and explore public-private
partnerships. With outreach largely the domain of regular enrolment campaigns and school
facilities provided by the Punjab Education Sector Reform Project, the ESP focuses heavily
on education governance and quality.
The Sindh ESP (2014–2018) articulates an approach under which access and learning
quality are tackled jointly, acknowledging the relation between low levels of learning and the
province’s low retention and enrolment. It includes extensive strategies on ECE, NFE and
teaching quality, as well as consolidated education provision. Like Balochistan, Sindh is
supported by the Global Partnership for Education, under which an annual joint education
sector review process has been established to review and revise the ESP and improve
monitoring, with a local education group coordinating at provincial level and district groups
operating locally.
AJK has drafted an ESP (2016–2021) but it is yet to be finalized or approved. However, this
also offers an opportunity to align the ESP with Education 2030 well before the plan’s
original expiry date in 2021. The draft ESP as it stands is almost entirely focused on access
to education. For most quality-related factors national-level policies and strategies are used,
with no systematic localization. This is indicative of a need to advocate for increased political
ownership of education in AJK.
The FATA ESP (2015/16–2019/20) covers all levels of education from early childhood to
undergraduate education along three strands of access, quality and governance with equity
as a crosscutting theme. It recognizes FATA’s special circumstances and proposes
appropriate strategies with a decentralized implementation process and a central monitoring
mechanism. It includes a separate chapter on insecurity and violence.
The GB ESP (2015–2030) is a long-term strategy to guide education. Since it intends to
cover the entire period up to the target year for the SDGs, it is far more exhaustive than the
KP equivalent. The relative youth of GB’s education sector and its lack of access to
development funding through National Finance Commission awards is reflected in its twin
focuses on developing institutions and providing a framework for donor contributions.
Since 2015, the ICT ESP (2014–2018) has been supplemented by the Prime Minister’s
Education Reform Programme which fills gaps and leads interventions related to
infrastructure improvements. This dual approach carries both risks and opportunities: on one
hand, it enables priority areas excluded from the ESP to be addressed; on the other, it
prevents a joined-up approach, risking multiple streams of accountability, non-strategic
funding allocations, and lack of sustainability.
3.2 Implications, opportunities and challenges
Alignment with SDG-4 / Education 2030 offers a unique opportunity for Pakistan in the
context of recent devolution. The national effort is backed by political and institutional will
through Vision 2025 (which broadly aligns with SDG priorities), and requires strong,
sustainable coordination mechanisms between the centre and the provinces/ areas. This will
21
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
lay the foundation for a sector-wide approach that will continue to benefit education planning
and delivery long after 2030. For areas, in particular, which have a de facto province-like
status, this is an opportunity to develop education institutions that are, from the outset,
aligned with national and global development goals whilst providing locally relevant services.
This is also an important opportunity to address the challenge of budgeting, particularly in
the areas which do not receive National Finance Commission awards.
This opportunity also poses a challenge. Achieving consensus between provinces and areas
given their different starting points and priorities, and different places in the planning cycle,
may hamper efforts to develop a unified understanding of national progress towards SDG-4
achievement.
The alignment process is an opportunity to develop cross-sectoral coordination that breaks
through siloes and enables, for example, TVET provision in secondary schools based on
local employer needs, or alternative learning programmes that channel students into formal
education.
All provinces and areas have noted the importance of continuous high-quality continued
professional development (CPD) and pre-service qualifications. Whilst some, such as
Balochistan and FATA, suffer from a shortage of even minimally qualified teachers
(especially women), a strong qualification and professional development system, particularly
if linked to compensation, will attract applicants in the long term. The drive towards SDG
achievement can, therefore, serve as a push towards a coordinated qualification system that
will eventually allow transferable qualifications and encourage public-private or civil society
partnerships, such as the Teach for All model,20 that support teacher placement in deprived
areas.
Evidence-based policies and actions pose challenges nationwide. All current planning is
based on population data from the 1998 census, and projections do no necessarily account
for population shifts as noted, for example, in the KP ESP. Many populations are omitted;
Balochistan faces difficulty in identifying and accommodating unregistered Afghan refugee
children. The 2017 census provides details of the latest population data. The SDG-4
alignment process is thus an opportunity to update data collection and reporting
mechanisms including data in Education Management Information Systems (EMIS), bring
provinces and areas into alignment, create channels for data from other sectors, and add
ways to analyse and address exclusion along multiple dimensions.
An important implication of this process is that it will, perforce, bring clarity regarding the
coordinating role of the MoFEPT post-devolution. Whilst provinces and areas are now fully
responsible for planning and delivering education services, the MoFEPT acts to create
shared definitions and directions, provide advisory and consultancy services, facilitate
knowledge exchange and resource sharing, and provide links to donors, other federal
bodies, and international counterparts for South-South exchanges.
In Balochistan, the alignment process has implications related to the legal and policy
environment for education, the need to mobilize stakeholders, improve planning and
resource allocation, expand collaboration and promote innovation. It offers opportunities to
reform the curriculum, build partnerships and capacity, improve data, develop resource
centres, achieve inclusive education, and enhance political commitment. However, major
challenges relate to its low population density and difficult terrain, scarcity of resources
(including qualified human resources), the multiple and unregulated education systems in
existence and lack of awareness.
20
See: http://teachforall.org/
22
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
In KP, alignment offers an opportunity to achieve its ESP’s aim to create a coordinated and
quality-focused approach to ESP 2020. However, the province’s vulnerability to natural
disaster and socio-political environment pose challenges. KP has already experienced years
of insecurity, with horrific violence against education, and hosted large displaced populations
from FATA and neighbouring Afghanistan.
The alignment process in Punjab has implications related to the provincial efforts to achieve
universal basic education, the need to coordinate with other related programmes, projects
and government departments, focus on improved quality, peacebuilding, and enhanced
policymaking. However, there are opportunities related to school-focused interventions,
inclusive education and teacher training, as well as in partnerships with the private sector
and civil society. An existing ECE strategy, institutional structures for literacy and NFE,
school consolidation and scholarships also offer opportunities for success. However, data,
infrastructure, school and teacher supply, coordination, finances, policy advocacy and
community mobilization pose challenges.
In Sindh, implications of the alignment process relate to accountability, governance and
coordination, as well as sustainable growth and poverty reduction. This will require a focus
on equity, inclusive education, education in emergencies, resource utilization and resultsbased implementation. The ESP is already well-aligned with SDG-4 and structures such as
the local education group may accelerate implementation. Effective monitoring and
evaluation, functional school management committees, curriculum review provisions, NFE
structures, policies addressing gender disparities, ongoing debates on school facilities, and
calls for robust budget allocations also offer opportunities. However challenges are posed by
deficiencies in governance, coordination, data quality, teacher availability and capacity,
infrastructure shortcomings and community engagement.
AJK is the only province or area to have not yet approved an ESP. It is also yet to pass
legislation guaranteeing free and compulsory education. Concerns raised by the lack of
political will thus demonstrated are exacerbated by AJK’s other challenges, such as lack of a
development budget that restrict large-scale improvements to education. Its ESP remains in
development which offers an opportunity to align with SDG-4 whilst enhancing donor,
policymaker and community engagement.
The FATA ESP will need to be updated to include ECE and ECD, a Directorate of
Curriculum and Teacher Education and textbook board, and a comprehensive assessment
system. New schools are being established (80:20 in favour of girls’ schools), and
scholarships for girls’ education are provided. Grassroots administration is weak and
community buy-in minimal, with no local government structures. Politicization at all levels
hampers efforts. Teacher capacity poses challenges, particularly following KP’s change in
medium of instruction to English in 2013, and resources for middle and secondary schooling
are inadequate. Mainstreaming madrassas remains an ongoing challenge. FATA’s longrunning insecurity, in which schools were particularly targeted, has caused significant
setbacks in an area which already had the lowest education indicators in Pakistan.
Alignment in GB will require policy updates, particularly related to quality education and
ECE. This will necessitate a gradual revision process. There are opportunities in GB’s
substantial development and tourism potential, as well as its dynamic population and track
record of successful project implementation. Major challenges include low population density
and difficult terrain, lack of opportunities to develop TVET, scarcity of resources including
physical and qualified human resources, gender biases, lack of reliable data, and inadequate
provision of ECE and special education.
23
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
In ICT, SDG-4 alignment has implications for policy (e.g. related to ECE, NFE and literacy),
stakeholder mobilization and coordination, planning and resource allocation, capacity
building and innovation. However, it offers opportunities to build social cohesion, achieve
curriculum reform, build the capacity of the education workforce, improve data and planning,
and achieve inclusive education. Strong political support for education in ICT offers an
opportunity for the success of the alignment exercise. However, challenges are posed by
ICT’s recent population growth, inadequately trained teachers and the existence of parallel
education systems. The lack of a coordination mechanism between the Federal Directorate
of Education on one hand, and areas where MoFEPT retains responsibility on the other, has
adverse impacts on education planning.
24
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Chapter 4: Mainstreaming SDG-4
SDG 4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and
secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
All provinces and areas with the
critical exception of AJK and GB
have now enacted legislation
guaranteeing 10 years of free and
compulsory
education
in
accordance with Article 25-A of
the Constitution. It is vital for AJK
and GB to immediately enact this
important
legislation.
While
Education 2030 recommends that
such legislation covers 12 years
of education, the constitution only
provides for 10 years (5–16 year
olds). To date, only Sindh and ICT
have introduced rules of business
to implement this right.
Minimum Standards for Quality Education were developed by the MoFEPT in 2016 and a
new National Curriculum was published in 2017, following a review for quality and relevance.
Both documents are aligned with this target. KP, Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and FATA have
a Curriculum Implementation Framework in place, or provisions in their ESPs to establish
one.
Provinces and areas aim to conduct both internal formative, and internal/ external
summative assessments, and most explicitly aim to move towards curriculum rather than
textbook-based assessment. While external summative assessments (by NEAS under
MoFEPT) have not historically led to meaningful reform, the current exercise (2016–2017) is
the first to include a broad range of education providers (including government, private and
BECS) in all provinces and areas, covering both winter and summer zones. Additionally,
Punjab, Sindh and KP have introduced large-scale assessment exercises. There is thus an
opportunity for Balochistan and the four areas to draw on the experience and capacity of
their counterparts to develop large-scale assessments, and to ensure they complement,
rather than duplicate, the sample-based national assessment exercise by NEAS. A total of
28 Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education conduct external examinations in
grades 9 and 12 across Pakistan and have been criticized for assessment design, scoring
and analysis.21
All ESPs focus heavily on institutional development and school governance. This is a
particular priority in the areas (AJK, FATA, GB and ICT) where separate governance
structures are relatively new. There is broad emphasis on community-led school governance
by strengthening or establishing school management committees, particularly to enhance
access and retention especially at the primary level, and to oversee and build school
infrastructure. ESPs recognize the need to develop separate management cadres with
21
Society for the Advancement of Education (SAHE) (2016). Assessment systems in Pakistan: Considerations of
quality, effectiveness and use. Available at: http://www.sahe.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/EM-IIIAssessment-systems-in-Pakistan-2016-1.pdf
25
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
specialized training and a gender focus, and to ensure that school leadership and local
education managers have the capacity to fulfil their roles. A large proportion of education
provision is in the private sector, and the four provinces and ICT all propose strategies for
bringing these into mainstream education. A particular challenge to oversight is posed by
madrassas and the FATA ESP, especially, examines this in detail, recommending for
example that madrassa oversight be moved from the Home Department to the Department
of Education.
Alternative learning programmes to reach a broad range of out of school children – including
those engaged in child labour, in madrassas and those who are overage – have been piloted
across Pakistan.22 These are largely the responsibility of NFE and adult literacy departments
and directorates as well as the BECS programme (see also the discussion of SDG 4.6)
accordingly there is inadequate coordination with education departments that would enable
out of school children to be channelled into mainstream schooling.
Whilst provinces and areas have individualized approaches to language learning, Pakistan’s
wealth of languages offers an opportunity to strengthen local cultures and develop exchange
programmes for teachers and students to promote national unity. Linguistic minorities within
provinces/ areas (such as linguistic minorities in Karachi) may also be catered to through
these programmes.
To achieve this target, the following actions are recommended:

AJK, GB and FATA must immediately enact legislation guaranteeing 10 years of free
and compulsory education. With support from MoFEPT, all provinces and areas should
implement rules of business to implement legislation, with strong language related to
quality, equity and inclusiveness.

All provinces and areas should put in place a Curriculum Implementation Framework that
includes a transparent and quality-focused process for developing learning materials and
accompanying teacher training; review processes to ensure quality and up-to-date
student-centred approaches and feedback mechanisms.

MoFEPT should coordinate the development and implementation of joined up
assessment strategies in which NEAS sampled country-wide assessments are
complemented by provincial/ area assessments, with channels to enable these to
meaningfully influence education decision-making.

A strategy must be developed to incorporate madrassahs into education oversight
structures and cooperate with private school associations.

Agreements facilitated between education and NFE departments will enable out of
school children to be channelled into the formal education system as far as possible.
MoFEPT should oversee the development of national standards and a certification
process for alternative learning programmes, while provinces/ areas oversee delivery in
partnership with private sector and civil society providers where appropriate. A 2017
agreement between the MoFEPT, Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA),
UNESCO and other national stakeholders to strengthen NFE provides an opportunity to
strengthen and systematize alternative learning programmes.

Provinces and areas should develop school language policies that are inclusive and
appropriate to learners, and collaborate on language exchange programmes to promote
national cohesion and support linguistic minorities.
22
See, for example, UNICEF Pakistan (2015) Alternative learning programmes in Pakistan. Available at:
https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/ALP_2014-15_BOOK_eVersion.pdf
26
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Balochistan and Sindh’s ESPs are well aligned with this target, with strategies in place for
quality textbook development, assessment and bilingual education that also offer an
opportunity to develop mother tongue ECE. These lay the ground for policy development
related to alternative learning programmes for out of school children, though much remains
to be done, particularly in Balochistan. Sindh conducts a large-scale assessment exercise,
however this is not mandatory and participation is low. Mandatory participation by private
and public schools alike will provide stronger data on education quality.
KP is unique in taking a multi-cycle planning approach to achieving its education goals, and
has deferred the development of quality strategies to its next ESP in 2020. The ESP also
excludes a language policy, however the province has enacted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Promotion of Regional Languages Authority Act, 2012, and a policy to introduce English
medium education. Governance is a major focus of this ESP.
Punjab also conducts regular assessments that provide important data on quality of
education. Its ESP is well aligned with SDG-4. However, while it mentions Urdu and English
language education, it omits mother tongue education.
AJK is yet to approve an ESP. It is imperative that this be approved at once to guide the
area’s efforts to achieve SDG-4.
FATA’s ESP reflects the earlier stage of education sector development in the area and
focuses heavily on decentralized governance that reflects the diversity of its component
agencies. In terms of management, GB’s ESP focuses on creating institutional structures to
oversee, implement and monitor education provision, both at the area level and, locally, by
empowering head teachers and communities.
SDG 4.1
Policies and legislation
that guarantee at least 12
years of free, publicly
funded, inclusive and
equitable quality primary
and secondary education.
Define standards and
review curricula to ensure
quality and relevance.
Balochistan
KP
Punjab
Sindh
Provincial legislation enacted guaranteeing 10 years of free, publically funded
education.
More robust,
comprehensive
assessment systems to
assess learning
outcomes.
Shift towards
critical skills
assessment and
developing
capacity to
conduct
diagnostic
assessment.
Develop
supportive
political
leadership,
decentralized
governance and
managerial
efficiency.
Develop policy
framework,
Strengthen institutions,
school leadership, and
governance.
Alternative modes of
learning and education
National standards and curriculum developed.
Curriculum
Omitted from
Includes
Implementation
current ESP.
development of
Framework and
standards for
capacity
curriculum review.
assessment;
quality
textbooks.
Emphasis on
research-based and
contextualized
curriculum, with
curriculum authority,
Curriculum
Implementation
Framework.
Focus on formative
assessment and
improved
examinations.
Curriculum-based
assessment.
Omitted from
current ESP.
Review
assessments for
curriculum-based
assessments;
assessment for
system diagnosis.
Improved data
and developing
district level
management
skills.
Strengthening
management
especially in rural
areas.
Capacity building of
head teachers and
district planners,
improved monitoring.
Induction training for
head teachers.
Not included.
Develop formal
linkages between
See SDG 4.6.
27
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
SDG 4.1
for out of school children
and adolescents.
Foster bi and multilingual
education.
SDG 4.1
Policies and legislation
that guarantee at least 12
years of free, publicly
funded, inclusive and
equitable quality primary
and secondary education.
Define standards and
review curricula to ensure
quality and relevance.
More robust,
comprehensive
assessment systems to
assess learning outcomes.
Strengthen institutions,
school leadership, and
governance.
Alternative modes of
learning and education for
out of school children and
adolescents.
Foster bi and multilingual
education.
Balochistan
expand
programmes and
build capacity.
Develop school
language policy
and capacity to
teach in mother
tongue.
KP
AJK
Urgent need to
enact legislation
and to update
and approve
ESP.
FATA
No legislation
enacted: federal
legislation (10
years)
applicable.
None, but there
is debate in
province on
English vs
mother tongue
education.
Punjab
NFE and
education
departments.
Language policy
balancing Urdu
and English.
Sindh
GB
Urgent need to
enact legislation.
ICT
12 years of
education.
National standards and curriculum developed.
Not included.
Uses curricula
Mandates
from other
development of a
provinces
flexible, modern
(primarily KP),
curriculum.
proposes
implementation
framework.
Aligned with
Not included.
Formative
national
assessment,
assessment
curriculum-based
regimes.
examination.
District
Decentralized
Expand roles of
education
decision making, head teachers
elementary
empowered
and communities
boards exist;
SMCs, improved in school
CPD provided
management.
management.
for education
managers.
NFE provision
Establish ALP
Establish NFE
through national programme.
and literacy
mechanisms
centres.
(NCHD, BECS).
None.
Review
language policy
and initiate pilot.
Multilingual
education with
emphasis on
mother tongue up
to Grade 3.
Sindhi and Urdu
language education
already exists.
Curriculum
Implementation
Framework and
develop curriculum
review process.
Review standards
and institutionalize
assessment
processes.
Focus on filling
management and
coordination gaps at
higher levels, and
head teacher and
community roles at
local levels.
Establish NFE unit
and coordinate with
other directorates to
mainstream
children.
Not included,
however language
of instruction is
predominantly
English.
SDG 4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development,
care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
Universal quality ECE is the foundation for achieving other SDG-4 targets, particularly those
related to equity and access (4.5), learning (4.1), literacy and numeracy (4.6) and global
citizenship (4.7).
Pakistan’s constitution does not include a right to free and compulsory quality pre-primary
education. While most provinces and areas lack legislation mandating ECE (Sindh is the
exception), there is general recognition of the need for policies and frameworks to ensure all
children receive ECE. There is a need to advocate with provincial and area governments to
update existing education laws and explicitly include ECE and early childhood development
(ECD).
28
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
FATA, Punjab and Balochistan have stated an explicit intent to create policy frameworks,
and some form of ECE models (including the katchi model) exists in all provinces and areas.
However, ECE is typically unfunded in public schooling, with rudimentary systems for
professionalization or teacher development, and sometimes run by donor-funded pilots with
limited timespans. There is little consistency as to ECE models, and minimal community
understanding of the need for ECE and what it entails. It is thus essential that ECE provision
be included in future ESPs as an integrated and adequately funded educational offering,
acknowledging its unique curriculum, teaching and cross-sectoral coordination requirements,
rather than an add-on to primary schooling.
Private schools are major ECE providers, offering opportunities for public-private
partnerships using vouchers. Moreover, a nationwide ECE qualification framework (ICT has
taken an initiative here) accompanied by province/ area specific recruitment policies will help
professionalize this service.
Cross-sectoral coordination at this stage of life is a gap in all provinces and areas. For this
reason, the process of integrating ECE into existing ESPs must be done using a crosssectoral approach, with close coordination with departments related to health, nutrition, child
protection and WASH along with development partners and private sector providers.
ECE is not only beneficial for the child, it creates the conditions for women to become
economically active by reducing their childcare duties. Thus, women’s development, social
welfare and labour departments also have stakes in ECE. The Lady Health Worker
programme, whilst lacking full penetration in many areas, remains the largest community
health initiative. It has an important role to play in creating joined up holistic services from
the first 1,000 days of life to ECE integrated with health and nutrition services. This approach
has been initiated in Punjab. Balochistan’s ESP links child health and nutrition to its ECE
framework, however these are not explicitly included in the strategic objectives.
To achieve this target, all provinces and areas should:
 Pass ECE legislation and integrate ECE into their ESPs.

Develop institutional structures including mutually agreed qualification and recruitment
frameworks for ECE.

Enhance cross-sectoral linkages with health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene
(WASH) and other departments, creating a unified ECD framework to provide linked-up
services from birth to primary school.

Allocate sustained funding to ensure schools in all communities have the physical and
teaching capacity to provide ECE, involving communities and the private sector where
appropriate.

Explore public-private partnerships in ECE provision, including voucher systems and
government oversight of private provision.
Balochistan and Sindh’s ESPs are well aligned with this target, though both lack strategic
objectives related to ECD and coordination structures. Balochistan should enhance its
focus on equity in its ECE policy to include marginalized communities such as nomads,
refugees and children in madrassas, and establish oversight structures. From a policy and
planning perspective, Sindh is unique in having legislation stating that government “may”
make provisions for free ECE for children above three years of age. However,
implementation is slow: the approved ECE teaching cadre has not been budgeted and a
proposed Directorate for ECCD is yet to be established.
29
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
While KP’s previous ESP included objectives related to ECE, these are largely excluded in
its current plan. The intent is to build institutional structures and then return to ECE provision
in the next ESP, due to start from 2020. Whilst a strong foundation for ECE is extremely
desirable, it is also important that current progress is monitored to prevent future delays.
Punjab’s ESP aims to establish ECE in all schools though it, too, lacks cross-sectoral
coordination. The UNICEF-supported phased whole-district approach,23 with cascade
trainings, ECE rooms in schools and community involvement, provides a model that may be
imitated across Pakistan.
AJK lacks an approved ESP, which hampers efforts to include ECE. There is an urgent
need to approve the ESP with ECE policies that emphasize cross-sectoral coordination and
a whole-child approach.
Under the FATA ESP, ECE programmes are to be included in primary schools that have an
enrolment of at least 200 children. As FATA mainstreaming proceeds, this requirement
should be relaxed, drawing on newly available funding streams for school rehabilitation to
provide ECE to all FATA children.
GB aims to include ECE in all primary schools or communities by 2020, however elevation of
ECE from projects to permanent programmes will ensure sustainability.
About 90 percent of ICT schools already offer ECE on a self-help basis. This may be
formalized and integrated into the ESP. ICT also offers a model for expanding public-private
partnerships under PMERP, which may be institutionalized by integrating into ESP and
offers lessons for other provinces and areas.
SDG 4.2
Integrated and inclusive
policies and legislation
that guarantee at least one
year of compulsory and
free quality pre-primary
education.
Integrated multi-sectoral
ECCE policies/strategies,
with coordination among
ministries responsible for
nutrition, health, social
and child protection,
water/sanitation, justice
and education.
Clear policies, strategies
and action plans for the
professionalization of
ECCE personnel.
Balochistan
None, however
ESP notes
needs to create
policy
framework.
KP
None
Punjab
None, but ECE
policy
development and
models exist.
Sindh
Yes, but range of
ECE models exist.
Not included.
Not included.
Need to build
coordination
structures to
include in next
ESP is noted.
Not included.
Not included.
Institutionalizes
ECE teaching
but no mention
of training.
Draws link to
CPD planned in
ESP, but not
explicitly
included.
Includes training
for education
managers, head
teachers, teachers
on ECE.
High quality inclusive,
accessible and integrated
programmes and services
for early childhood.
Not included.
Not included.
First 1,000 days
approach in
PESRP, and
coordination with
LHW programme.
Strong emphasis on
standards and
capacity
development, ECE
recruitment policy
and certification.
Not included.
SDG 4.2
Integrated and inclusive
AJK
None.
FATA
None. Intent to
GB
None. Intent to
23
Project overview available at: http://dsd.edu.pk/images/contentimages/ece/Early%20Childhood%20Education%20Initiative%20in%20Punjab.pdf
30
ICT
None. Intent to
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
SDG 4.2
policies and legislation
that guarantee at least one
year of compulsory and
free quality pre-primary
education.
AJK
FATA
introduce ECE
in selected
schools and to
develop ECE
policy.
GB
introduce ECE
gradually in all
schools.
Integrated multi-sectoral
ECCE policies/strategies,
with coordination among
ministries responsible for
nutrition, health, social
and child protection,
water/sanitation, justice
and education.
Clear policies, strategies
and action plans for the
professionalization of
ECCE personnel.
None.
Develop a policy
on ECD in
consultation with
the Directorate
of Health
Services.
Not included.
None
Includes teacher
recruitment,
training.
None.
High quality inclusive,
accessible and integrated
programmes and services
for early childhood.
None
None
None
ICT
introduce ECE in all
schools, building on
existence of ECE
on self-help basis in
90% of public
schools. Key gaps
in ESP filled by
PMERP.
Not included.
Develop standard
teaching
qualifications.
Ongoing CPD for
ECE.
None
SDG 4.3 and 4.4
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical,
vocational and tertiary education, including university.
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills,
including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
The Education 2030 indicative strategies under SDG 4.3–4.4 are:

Holistic, equitable and market-responsive evidence-based national policies and plans for
vocational skills development, TVET and tertiary education.

Cross-sectoral policies for TVET and tertiary education supported by effective
partnerships.

TVET curricula that include work-related and transferable skills, entrepreneurial and ICT
skills.

Policies and programmes for tertiary distance education.

Transparent, efficient TVET quality assurance systems and qualifications.

Quality assurance, comparability and recognition of tertiary education qualifications.

Flexible learning in both formal and non-formal settings.

Development of dual systems (combination of work and training) where appropriate.

International cooperation in cross-border tertiary education and research.
Since ESPs generally do not include TVET and tertiary education, tables describing the
alignment of individual ESPs with these closely related indicative strategies have been
omitted in favour of the qualitative discussion below.
Across the provinces and areas, TVET, vocational learning and tertiary education are
generally excluded from ESPs, falling instead under the purview of separate higher
31
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
education departments, the HEC, NAVTTC, various provincial TEVTA bodies, etc. As such,
SDGs 4.3–4 are not covered by ESPs, and coordination between these bodies and securing
buy-in between sectors and provinces/ areas is essential to achieve these targets. Future
ESPs in all provinces/ areas should therefore contain clear structures for coordination and
data collection, to ensure these targets are achieved.
In 2017, the HEC Vision 202524 governing tertiary education was published. SDG-4 related
priorities included commitments to a three-tiered integrated tertiary education system
(including the establishment of vocational education institutions), research innovation and
commercialization (including international research collaborations), equitable access
(through funding for distance education), quality of curricular offerings (including four-year
courses consistent with the Bologna Principles, integrated work-study programmes and
quality assurance frameworks).
However, following devolution, Punjab and Sindh have established their own higher
education commissions. The Federal Government argues that as per a 2011 Supreme Court
decision, “the status of [federal] HEC shall remain intact unless it is changed through new
legislation.”25 Agreement is essential on roles and responsibilities at provincial and federal
levels in order to avoid duplication and to maximize collaboration.
There is significant scope for improvement in TVET provision, as discussed in detail by the
National TVET Policy Task Group.26 The development of a research-based national TVET
Policy under the purview of MoFEPT, that includes holistic, equitable, market-responsive
plans for TVET and vocational skills, is underway. Most provinces and areas have their own
TEVTA or equivalent authorities, which the policy proposes will be responsible for TVET
delivery.
In all provinces and areas, however, there is a recognized need to enhance collaborations
related to TVET. These include collaborations with education, youth, women’s development
and social welfare departments, and demand-side collaborations with a broad range of
government departments related to labour, business development, industry, agriculture, IT,
tourism, forestry, water management, etc., as well as potential private sector employers and
entrepreneurship incubators. There is also a wide range of public, for-profit and non-profit
providers. While the draft TVET Policy proposes collaborations via the Pakistan Skills
Partnership, it makes no specific recommendations.
Involvement in programmes designed to enhance economic landscapes and supply chains
(such as UNDP-supported supplier development programmes in KP and Balochistan) will
enable a holistic and consolidated approach to vocational education. With careful planning,
CPEC may also offer an opportunity for demand-driven TVET. With MoFEPT as a
clearinghouse, and a strong coordination mechanism between NAVTTC and provincial/ area
TEVTAs, there is an opportunity to ensure that TVET qualifications are comparable and
transferrable.
Vocational streams in secondary schooling have historically been unsuccessful, and the
proposed National TVET Policy recommends a separate initiative to assess these and revise
provision. Research to define training needs, develop competence-based qualifications, and
24
Available at: http://hec.gov.pk/english/HECAnnouncements/Documents/Announcement/HEC-Vision-2025.pdf
25
Mahmood, K. (2016). Overall assessment of the higher education sector. Higher Education Commission.
Available at: http://hec.gov.pk/english/universities/projects/TESP/Documents/FRAssessment%20HE%20Sector.pdf
26
National TVET Policy Task Group (2014). Skills for growth and development: A draft national Technical and
Vocational Education and Training Policy – Consultation document.
32
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
identify and learn from success stories elsewhere (such as models with on-the-job learning
at upper secondary schools),27 will be a critical first step.
Balochistan’s ESP does not include TVET, however a Balochistan TEVTA policy is under
development. There is an opportunity for Balochistan to provide skills training based on
CPEC needs, but this is limited by capacity issues, limited access for marginalized groups,
and Balochistan’s difficult terrain. The ESP covers tertiary education to the undergraduate
level, and proposes the introduction of four-year degrees in two colleges.
The KP ESP explicitly does not include TVET and higher education which will require
collaboration with other departments, and focuses instead on building institutions to underpin
collaboration in these areas in ESP 2020.
In Punjab, the ESP recommends review of secondary school curricula to enhance relevance
to the world of work, and to assess why technical streams have not been successful in
schools. There is a need for linkages with the Higher Education Department and TEVTA, as
well as to assess the integration of TVET into mainstream secondary education.
Sindh’s ESP seeks to revitalize demand-focused vocational education in secondary
schooling, in collaboration with TEVTA. It includes paid work-study programmes for children
formerly involved in child labour and adults in literacy programmes. Tertiary education is not
included in the ESP.
In the absence of an approved ESP, AJK has adopted the national TVET Policy and
National Education Policy 2009 to govern TVET and tertiary education respectively. Existing
TVET provision is weak, particularly in terms of quality, entrepreneurial skills, communication
training and ethics. Links with potential employers are weak. As the National TVET Policy is
implemented, addressing these gaps will become a priority. Similarly, tertiary provision in
AJK through its Directorate of Public Institutions (excluding five HEC-supported universities)
is largely through two-year colleges, which require urgent upgrading to four-year colleges
aligned with Bologna principles.
TVET is not covered in the FATA ESP as it falls under the Directorate of Technical
Education. FATA’s higher education is currently in transition as the area recovers from
insecurity and embarks on a complex reform process. Its education challenges are such that
tertiary education will necessarily benefit from close cooperation with institutions elsewhere
in Pakistan. Nevertheless, FATA’s ESP proposes converting its two-year graduate
programmes to four-year programmes, encouraging female enrolment, and rebuilding or
upgrading existing facilities.
Whilst GB’s ESP proposes an ambitious programme for establishing professional and TVET
institutions, human and financial resources are lacking while institutional structures are
relatively new. GB has identified tourism, forestry and CPEC as opportunities for growth in
this area. Its difficult terrain renders GB a strong candidate for distance tertiary education.
In ICT, TVET is not included in the ESP, but some aspects related to IT training are covered
by PMERP. The National Institute of Science and Technical Education has the mandate for
TVET in ICT and should be strengthened further to become a degree-awarding institute.
Students with ICT domicile are currently excluded from higher education quotas which
severely hampers their access to tertiary education.
27
Finnish National Board of Education (n.d.). Vocational education and training in Finland. Available at:
http://www.oph.fi/download/131431_vocational_education_and_training_in_finland.pdf
33
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
SDG 4.5
By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of
education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities,
indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.
SDG 4.5 is a critical target in Pakistan, where children are deprived of the right to learn due
to many intersecting vulnerabilities (including gender, rural/ urban background, disability,
socioeconomic position, insecurity, etc.). Historically, however, efforts to promote access
have lacked an equity focus that responds to these multiple forms of marginalization.
Moreover, the focus on access has sometimes led to inadequate attention paid to retention –
girls are considerably more likely to drop out before completing a full course of education.
In Pakistan’s context, there is a need for explicit policies underpinned by adequate budgets
to prevent discrimination or stereotypes in education (e.g. on the basis of religion, sect,
ethnicity, caste or gender).
With severe gender-based inequities in access to education especially at lower
socioeconomic levels, the first implementing strategy (“Identify, monitor and improve girls’
and women’s access to and participation in education”) has for long been a major focus area
and is covered in some manner by all ESPs, albeit using different approaches. Sindh and
GB include gender equity as separate priority areas in their ESPs and have a
correspondingly wide range of approaches, while Balochistan’s gender and equity focus is
included under access and covers school establishment and community mobilization. In
Punjab, equity is dispersed across various strategic areas and gender equity is not explicitly
a focus area. Despite its low gender parity, the KP ESP does not have a strong gender
focus, with key relevant initiatives included being schools upgradation and cash transfers.
FATA includes as a strategic objective reducing the gender gap by 50 per cent through
school establishment/ upgrading, community involvement and enrolment/ incentives.
Equity more broadly requires attention and coordinated action through disaggregated data
collection, studies to identify vulnerabilities to exclusion down to district level, and affirmative
measures to include excluded children. UNICEF’s Out of School Children reports identify the
vulnerabilities that exclude children in the four provinces (2013) and in GB and AJK (2016)
and provide broad policy recommendations.28 A Simulation for Equity in Education exercise
held in Balochistan offers a means of using simulations to assess approaches to addressing
identified inequities, on the basis of cost, as well as effects on entry, retention, completion
and learning.29
However, understanding marginalization also requires coordination between provinces/
areas; for example, children from nomadic communities regularly cross provincial
boundaries, mother language education in one province might offer examples for educating
children in other areas, etc. Similarly, there is scope for collaboration on blended distance
learning programmes (proposed in GB and with potential applications in AJK, FATA and
Balochistan) for remote or under-served areas.
28
UNICEF Pakistan (2013). Out-of-school children in Pakistan. Available at:
https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/overview_8436.html. UNICEF Pakistan (2016). Out-of-school children in GilgitBaltistan. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/GB_OOSC_-_Report_-_Compressed_-_Pakistan__2017.pdf. Out-of-school children in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (2016).
https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/AJK_OOSC_-_Report_-_Compressed_-_Pakistan_-_2017.pdf
29
UNICEF Pakistan (2016). Simulations for equity in education: Balochistan model. Available at:
https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/SEE_Final_Report.pdf
34
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
At present, no province or area monitors exclusion in a way that captures a range of
vulnerabilities and there is no consistent system for ensuring that plans, policies, budgets
and curricula are free of gender discrimination or take a human rights lens. Working with
planning departments and following the example of federal and Punjab education planning
to incorporate gender responsive budgeting into the education planning process (both
annual development and longer-term planning) will not only reduce discrimination against
women and girls, it has been shown to have economic benefits in the long term.30 Sindh’s
ESP includes the establishment of a Gender Unit focusing on curricula and textbooks. A
useful approach might be the establishment of a Gender and Human Rights Unit at MoFEPT
that provides on-demand consultancy services for all education policies and frameworks.
With many areas of Pakistan vulnerable to disaster and insecurity, child centred disaster risk
reduction and school resilience is increasingly important. All provinces and areas except GB
and AJK already include disaster risk reduction and/ or education in emergencies in their
ESPs. The National Disaster Management Authority, in collaboration with UNICEF, has
piloted a School Safety Framework, and it is recommended that the overall framework be
incorporated into all education sector planning, and budgeted and localized as required.
With Pakistan’s first ever National Curriculum Framework published in 2017, there is an
opportunity for all provinces and areas act in coordination to revise textbooks and teacher
training materials to eliminate biases and promote human rights, promoting social cohesion
by extending this framework to cover private and religious schools.
There is a need for a systematic, well-funded approach to inclusive education across all
provinces and areas, although some (e.g. ICT) continue to provide separate facilities for
children with disabilities instead of including them in mainstream education.
To achieve this target, therefore, the following actions are recommended:

All provinces/ areas should develop and approve budgeted policies on gender, equity
and inclusion to guide education provision and mandate data collection and reporting
along several axes of vulnerability including gender, ethnicity, disability, etc.

All provinces/ areas should adopt the School Safety Framework in partnership with
provincial/ area disaster management authorities. GB and AJK should, as a matter of
urgency, include child-centred DRR in their ESPs.

At federal level, a Gender and Human Rights Unit should be established to provide
advocacy and support services to all provinces/ areas including policy, planning,
budgetary, training and curriculum reviews.

Provinces and areas should strengthen their focus on inclusive education, developing
horizontal linkages with social welfare and youth development, and assess inclusion into
mainstream education through targeted incentives and involving communities in
providing support to excluded children.
In Balochistan, gender imbalances remain with regard to the distribution of education
resources. Moreover, traditional barriers remain strong. Initiatives such as the community
action process provide models for achieving community buy-in, identifying marginalized
groups, and enhancing demand.31 Its ESP briefly alludes to exploring IT for outreach for
education delivery.
30
UNESCO (2010). Gender-responsive budgeting in education. Available at:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001894/189456e.pdf
31
UNICEF Pakistan (2008). Community action process in Kalat. Available at:
https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/Kalat_report.pdf
35
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Girls are not explicitly included in Punjab’s ESP strategies, though many education
initiatives (such as the Girls’ Stipend Initiative) have a strong gender focus. These may be
systematized through inclusion in ESPs.
Recognizing the impact of sudden events on education in the past, KP includes emergency
management planning and a drawdown fund intended to respond quickly and effectively.
Informed by recent history, FATA’s ESP puts strong emphasis on access for children
excluded due to insecurity, gender and disability, including gender-based affirmative actions
and school safety planning.
While GB has a strong focus on gender equity, there is a need for a monitoring mechanism
to ensure girls’ and women’s access, participation and inclusion. There is also an urgent
need to include and systematize School DRR.
In ICT, Institutes of Special Education have the mandate to provide inclusive education and
their number can be increased, while new centres may be established in affiliation with
public schools and colleges.
SDG 4.5
Identify, monitor and
improve girls’ and
women’s access to and
participation.
Balochistan
Major
component of
access
strategies.
Identify barriers that
exclude marginalized
children and youth and
institute affirmative
actions.
Included.
Policies, sector plans,
strategies and budgets to
ensure non-discrimination
and equality.
Policies, sector plans and
budget planning that
include risk assessment,
preparedness and
response to emergency
and conflict situations.
A comprehensive
approach to make schools
resilient.
Not included.
Distance learning and
access to ICT facilities to
facilitate learning in
conflict zones, remote
areas.
Review education sector
plans, budgets, curricula
and textbooks and teacher
training to ensure that
they are free of gender
stereotypes and promote
equality and human rights.
Use of multiple sources of
36
KP
Not explicitly
included in ESP,
but major
component of
access
strategies
including cash
vouchers.
Not explicitly
included, but
access
strategies
include cash
vouchers.
Not included.
Punjab
Not included but
major component
of access
strategies.
Sindh
Major component of
access strategies.
Focus on inclusive
education.
Included.
Not included.
Not included.
Emergency
management
plans and
drawdown fund.
DRR planning and
budgeting;
education system
diagnosis.
Education in
Emergencies
institutional
structures.
Develop DRR
policy for
education.
School Safety
Planning.
Not included.
Not included.
Preparedness
training; review of
school building
designs.
Not included.
Teacher training
and curriculum
related to Education
in Emergencies.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
Genderresponsive
budgeting.
Gender Unit to
review curricula.
Not included,
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
SDG 4.5
data and information for
monitoring of social
exclusion including on
children with disabilities.
Balochistan
however there is
an entry point in
strategy to
expand EMIS.
KP
Punjab
Sindh
SDG 4.5
Identify, monitor and
improve girls’ and
women’s access to and
participation.
AJK
Not explicitly
included.
FATA
Major
component of
access
strategies.
ICT
Gender-focused
enrolment and
completion.
Identify barriers that
exclude marginalized
children and youth and
institute affirmative
actions.
Not included.
Policies, sector plans,
strategies and budgets to
ensure non-discrimination
and equality.
Policies, sector plans and
budget planning that
include risk assessment,
preparedness and
response to emergency
and conflict situations.
A comprehensive
approach to make schools
resilient.
Not included.
Affirmative
actions for girls
and children
with special
needs especially
due to violence.
Not included.
GB
Promoting girls’
enrolment,
attendance,
retention, with
emphasis on data.
Focus on
inclusiveness and
financial support
where required.
Not included.
Not included.
Distance learning and
access to ICT facilities to
facilitate learning in
conflict zones, remote
areas.
Review education sector
plans, budgets, curricula
and textbooks and teacher
training to ensure that
they are free of gender
stereotypes and promote
equality and human rights.
Use of multiple sources of
data and information for
monitoring of social
exclusion including on
children with disabilities.
Inclusive education
including
community
acceptance.
Not included.
Prepare DRR
policy.
Not included.
Not included.
Resilient
schools rebuilt
after 2005.
School Safety in
curricula and
learning
materials
Not included.
Prepare School
Safety Plans.
Not included.
Development of
disaster
preparedness
mechanisms.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
Not included.
SDG 4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women,
achieve literacy and numeracy.
With low literacy rates in Pakistan, especially amongst women, youth and adult literacy
programmes and non-formal education are critical to achieving this target. Adult literacy
amongst women is substantially lower than amongst men, and although not specifically
37
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
included in the indicative strategies, applying a strong gender lens to literacy programmes,
and innovative means of targeting women in particular, are essential.
Generally, numeracy is not explicitly included in literacy programmes. Moreover, traditionally
the focus has been on increasing the numerical percentage of the literate population, SDG
4.6 marks a move towards functional literacy and proficiency. This entails a change in
approach in evaluating literacy programmes and in data collection.
There are a range of institutional structures covering youth and adult literacy, many
overlapping with formal education and alternative learning programmes (see SDG 4.1). The
latter are often geared towards young people who are overage for primary education. In
Punjab, literacy comes under a separate Department for Literacy and Non-Formal Basic
Education; in Balochistan a Directorate of Literacy and NFE works under the Department of
Social Welfare while in Sindh it comes under a joint School Education and Literacy
Department. Aside from individual initiatives, AJK, FATA, GB, ICT and KP lack formal
institutional structures for NFE and adult literacy altogether. Nationally, BECS supports NFE
through home-based multi-grade schools for Grades 1–5, with an enrolment of nearly 0.5
million across Pakistan (over 56 per cent girls). An additional 0.3 million children are enrolled
in NFE institutions operated by the NCHD while 1.5 million children are enrolled in Punjab
Education Foundation institutions in that province.32
Supported by JICA, UNESCO and other development partners, MoFEPT, along with the
NCHD, BECS, National Education Foundation and Academy of Educational Planning and
Management (AEPAM) are strengthening NFE systems by developing a national NFE policy,
accreditation systems for NFE programmes, piloting NFE standards, curricula, learning
materials and assessments, improved data collection and evidence-based management
through a new NFE EMIS, and enhanced inter-provincial coordination.
Furthermore, many private and civil society providers offer a constellation of models. Thus a
crucial aspect of work at the centre is to support provinces/ areas in bringing together
stakeholders and creating oversight and coordination mechanisms, providing south-south
linkages to learn from other countries’ experiences, and acting as an information exchange
centre for best practices.
To achieve this target, all provinces and areas should:

Work with MoFEPT to drive forward the NFE agenda, including the development of
uniform, nationally-accepted definitions related to NFE and adult literacy, with a
numeracy component, develop national assessment and certification frameworks for
literacy programmes, and collect consistent and comparable data on literacy and
numeracy.

Develop clear strategies on scaling up successful models by drawing on surveys and
robust evaluations, in collaboration with NCHD, BECS, provincial NFE providers, civil
society organizations and the private sector.

In the case of ICT, it may be beneficial to share the NFE and adult literacy initiatives of
neighbouring provinces (Punjab or KP), perhaps using an outsourcing model, instead of
creating new ones for a small region with strong education indicators.

Partner with employers in agriculture, mining, brick kilns and other labour-intensive
sectors to provide evening literacy and numeracy courses at the workplace.
32
Pakistan Education Statistics 2015–2016.
38
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Balochistan proposes to develop a policy framework covering literacy and alternative
learning programmes at the provincial level. However, its definitions are not consistent with
those in the rest of Pakistan and are not subject to consistent evaluation.
In Sindh, literacy and NFE comes under the education department and the ESP accordingly
contains detailed strategies related to NFE and adult literacy, including policy development,
mapping out successful models and areas of need, competency frameworks, budgeting,
standards and monitoring.
KP explicitly does not include adult education in its ESP, stating that this will require
collaboration with other departments. Instead, it focuses on building institutions to underpin
such collaborations in its next ESP, in 2020.
In Punjab a separate department is responsible for literacy and non-formal education and is
in the process of finalizing a policy for the province. There is a need for closer coordination
with the School Education Department to ensure that definitions, strategies and plans align
with SDG-4 and data collection mechanisms are in place.
No specific structures exist for adult literacy and NFE in AJK and these are not covered in
the draft ESP. The area relies instead on national initiatives such as NCHD and BECS.
No strategies exist in FATA, however the FATA Education Foundation has established nonformal schools for adults and children.
GB’s ESP recommends the establishment of NFE and literacy centres using communityprovided spaces where government schools do not exist but there is no coherent NFE policy
or institutional structure. The establishment of a Non-Formal Curriculum Unit in the
Directorate of Education is underway.
ICT does not have any strategies or institutional structures related to NFE and adult literacy.
SDG 4.6
Establish a sector-wide
and multi-sectoral
approach for formulating
literacy policy and plans
and budgets.
Ensure quality literacy and
numeracy programmes
based on national
evaluation mechanisms
and tailored to needs.
Scale up effective adult
literacy and skills
programmes involving
civil society as partners.
Develop a literacy
assessment framework
and tools to evaluate
proficiency levels based
on learning outcomes.
Establish a system to
collect, analyse and share
relevant and timely data
on literacy and numeracy
levels and needs.
Balochistan
KP
Punjab
Sindh
National NFE policy and institutional structures are under development.
Proposed in
None.
None.
Covered in ESP.
ESP.
Proposed in
ESP, but
evaluation
mechanisms not
included.
ESP provides
for scale-up of
successful
models.
None.
None.
None.
Provincial
evaluation
mechanisms are
under development.
None.
ESP provides for
scale-up of
successful models.
None.
Not covered in
ESP; a separate
strategy is under
development.
None.
None.
None.
None.
Proposed in ESP.
Proficiency not
included.
39
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
SDG 4.6
All indicative strategies
AJK
FATA
GB
ICT
None.
None.
None.
None.
National NFE policy and institutional structures are under development.
SDG 4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote
sustainable development, including, among others, education for sustainable development
and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace
and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s
contribution to sustainable development.
The Education 2030 indicative strategies under SDG 4.7 are:

Develop policies and programmes to promote and bring education for sustainable
development and global citizenship education into the mainstream of formal, non-formal
and informal education.

Provide learners with opportunities to acquire, throughout life, the knowledge, skills,
values and attitudes to build peaceful and sustainable societies.

Ensure that education acknowledges the key role that culture plays in achieving
sustainability.

Support the development of more robust assessment systems for education for
sustainable development and global citizenship education.

Promote an interdisciplinary multi-stakeholder approach to ensure education for
sustainable development and global citizenship education in all forms of education.
SDG 4.7 relates to emerging concepts in learning that are generally not clearly articulated
and included in current provincial/ area ESPs. As such, it is a priority area to be further
enhanced, explicitly formulated and budgeted in forthcoming ESPs.
As programmes and interventions related to this target are presently largely absent, tables
describing the alignment of individual ESPs with these indicative strategies have been
omitted in favour of the qualitative discussion below.
No province or area currently includes strategies that will help achieve this target. Given
Pakistan’s vulnerability in recent years to militancy and sectarianism, fulfilling SDG 4.7 in all
forms of education – public schooling, religious seminaries, non-formal education and private
schooling – is a national priority.
In 2017, the launch of a new National Education Policy and National Curriculum Framework
laid the foundations for the achievement of this SDG target. The National Curriculum
Framework 2017 includes guidelines on values including global citizenship and is an
unprecedented opportunity for provinces to work with related sectors including education,
social welfare, women, youth, religion, minority affairs, sport, culture, IT and climate change,
and in partnership with civil society organizations, religious, cultural and linguistic groups,
volunteer organizations, and representatives from marginalized communities, to
conceptualize a locally relevant vision that fulfils Pakistan’s international commitments to
human rights and sustainable development. A strong emphasis on digital citizenship.
Guided by the methodologies developed by UNESCO,33 the MoFEPT should lead the
process of defining guidelines on global citizenship education using a local and culturally
appropriate lens, and selecting indicators for assessing success against this target.
33
See http://mgiep.unesco.org.
40
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
UNESCO guidelines for policymakers on preventing violent extremism through education,34
UNICEF’s social cohesion and resilience pilot,35 or the Sabaoon Project in Swat, provide
guidelines and models related to specific areas of peacebuilding, while initiatives related to
child-centred disaster risk reduction and school safety by the National Disaster Management
Authority and its provincial counterparts will provide channels to introduce children to climate
change and sustainability.
Following this methodological and definition work, provincial education departments must
collaborate with education providers at all levels – formal and informal, private and public to
incorporate these materials into learning throughout the lifetime via, for example, civics and
ethics textbooks, volunteering and community participation. Crucially, this content should be
incorporated into pre- and in-service teacher training.
The following actions are recommended to achieve this target:

Guided by the National Education Policy, National Curriculum Framework, and
methodology work by UNESCO, the MoFEPT should take a convening role to encourage
cross-sectoral collaboration and partnerships within and outside government to define
content, forms and measurement tools for locally appropriate global citizenship
education.

Provincial and area education departments should articulate the global citizenship target
in their ESPs, refining existing strategies where available, relating it to local needs (such
as peacebuilding, tolerance, DRR, gender equality and digital citizenship) and
incorporate it into lifetime education through revised textbooks, volunteering and
community participation.

Particular attention is required to incorporate the values of global citizenship, tolerance
and environmentalism into pre- and in-service teacher training.
FATA’s ESP recommends evaluating key educational inputs to improve attitudes towards
tolerance and non-violent behaviour, specifically in textbooks for children in areas affected
by insecurity.
GB’s ESP does not have explicit strategies but includes a long-term goal for learners to
become “democratic citizens” with values of respect and tolerance.
No other ESP includes provisions that relate to SDG 4.7.
SDG 4.a
Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and
provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
All provinces and areas have implemented measures to ensure schools are safe and free
from violence. However, there are no comprehensive strategies to do so. Thus, over-arching
Safe Schools strategies that adhere to child protective norms, and are disability and gender
sensitive, should be developed in each province/ area.
34
UNESCO (2017). Preventing violent extremism through education: A guide for policy-makers. Available at:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002477/247764e.pdf
35
SAHE Society for the Advancement of Education (2016). Promoting social cohesion and resilience in
education: Progress report and end of project recommendations. http://www.sahe.org.pk/wpcontent/uploads/2016/09/SCR-phase-2-report-Promoting-Social-Cohesion-and-Resilience-in-Education20161.pdf
41
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
School infrastructure is an important area of focus across provinces/ areas. Overcrowding is
a major deterrent and poses a significant challenge to access to education. Existing built
infrastructure is weak – half of schools have no electricity and a third have no drinking water,
sanitation or boundary walls. Additionally, there are not enough classrooms in many schools;
notably, dedicated ECE classrooms do not exist. GB, Punjab and Sindh specify the need for
gender appropriate construction. At present, internet facilities are not included in ESPs,
though growing coverage of mobile data may, in the future, create an opportunity for publicprivate partnerships to introduce connectivity.
The division of resources between schools is generally not approached strategically. In
many cases, limited funding and a dependence on donor funding and project-based
approaches lead to specific schools and locations being targeted not because they have the
greatest need or serve the most socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, but due to
access, existing projects and infrastructure, donor priorities or even political reasons. Whilst
all provinces/ areas correctly prioritize provision of the most basic facilities (such as water
and shelter) across all schools, Sindh also proposes the development of district-wise school
infrastructure development plans, that offer an opportunity for equitable resourcing in the
future.
With NFE and adult literacy being broadly de-emphasized in ESPs, provisions to ensure that
learning spaces are widely available are absent except in the Sindh ESP. The BECS
initiative is a major provider of NFE, relying on home-based classrooms donated by
communities. However, the MoFEPT-led initiative in 2017 to develop NFE institutional and
policy structures provides an opportunity to strengthen this provision in the future.
Protection from violence is an area of concern in Pakistan. In schools, corporal punishment
is common and there are few limitations against bullying by staff or other students. Schools
and students are also vulnerable to violent attack in many parts of the country. Eradicating
violence within schools requires robust policies, buy-in by communities, the establishment of
child protective channels (such as designated child protection reporters), and accountability
for teachers. At present, while ESPs prohibit corporal punishment and recommend
measures against harassment, supportive structures are not in place.
The following actions are recommended to achieve this target:

All provinces/ areas develop Safe Schools strategies that are child, disability and gender
sensitive, and speak to specific vulnerabilities experienced by children in local contexts.
These strategies should be implemented in partnership with school management
committees, making communities custodians of their local schools.

Following the development of the national NFE policy, context-specific provision of
adequate space for NFE and adult education (whether through second-shift schooling,
community spaces such as mosques, or in homes) should be included in future NFE
strategies at provincial/ area level.

Develop explicit and unified nationwide strategies to address corporal punishment and
violence in schools, with community mobilization efforts to implement codes of conduct,
teacher training and links to career progression in all provinces and areas. As child
protective systems develop in each province/ area, develop links including mandated
reporters in communities.

Develop nationally-agreed minimum, desirable and optimal standards for child-friendly
schools.
As part of its emphasis on missing facilities and schools, Balochistan proposes a review of
current facilities based on its EMIS. A large number of “ghost schools” which exist only on
paper have already been revealed. The province emphasizes community mobilization to shift
42
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
attitudes to corporal punishment. It also proposes “child friendly school designs”, however no
standards have been created.
KP focuses on providing missing facilities in schools and reopening non-functioning schools.
Punjab is reviewing infrastructure standards. Outside the ESP, the province is enhancing
security measures against violent attack and planning inclusive infrastructure. It also
proposes awareness campaigns against corporal punishment and child-friendly approaches.
Sindh offers a detailed plan related to school infrastructure at all levels, and aside from
policies related to gender and violence, is broadly in line with Education 2030.
AJK is in urgent need of school improvement plans to address shelter-less schools, ensure
earthquake-safe construction, provide missing facilities and involve school management
committees. Despite the heavy burden of disability after the 2005 earthquake, there is no
strategy for inclusive infrastructure, and protection from violence is also absent.
FATA, which has suffered greatly from school attacks, includes as a strategy the minimizing
of effects of violence on education. In this context, school safety planning and disaster risk
reduction should be included as major areas of focus.
GB emphasizes gender and disability sensitive construction, with the development of
minimum standards applicable to all schools. It also seeks to ban corporal punishment.
ICT’s population growth has outstripped school supply, and there is an urgent need to build
new schools.
SDG 4.a
Institute comprehensive,
multifaceted and cohesive
gender- and disabilitysensitive policies, that
ensure schools are safe
and free from violence.
Ensure that every
institution has water,
electricity, working,
accessible and gendersegregated toilets,
adequate and safe
classrooms, appropriate
learning materials and
technology.
Ensure resources are
allocated equitably
between socioeconomically advantaged
and disadvantaged
schools and learning
centres.
Make learning spaces and
environments for nonformal and adult learning
and education widely
available.
Establish policies and
strategies to protect
learners, teachers and
staff from violence.
Balochistan
No
comprehensive
strategy.
KP
No
comprehensive
strategy.
Punjab
No
comprehensive
strategy.
Sindh
No comprehensive
strategy.
Built
infrastructure
included, but
accessibility and
learning
technologies
excluded.
Built
infrastructure
included, but
accessibility and
learning
technologies
excluded.
Built infrastructure
included, with
provision for
accessibility and
learning
technologies.
Built infrastructure
included, with
provision for
accessibility and
learning
technologies.
No such
strategy.
No such
strategy.
No such strategy.
No such strategy.
Not in ESP, but
limited
availability.
Not in ESP, but
limited
availability.
Not in ESP, but
limited availability.
Not in ESP, but
limited availability.
Awareness
campaigns and
teacher training
on corporal
punishment.
None.
Awareness
campaign against
corporal
punishment.
None.
43
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
SDG 4.a
Institute comprehensive,
multifaceted and cohesive
gender- and disabilitysensitive policies, that
ensure schools are safe
and free from violence.
Ensure that every
institution has water,
electricity, working,
accessible and gendersegregated toilets,
adequate and safe
classrooms, appropriate
learning materials and
technology.
Ensure resources are
allocated equitably
between socioeconomically advantaged
and disadvantaged
schools and learning
centres.
Make learning spaces and
environments for nonformal and adult learning
and education widely
available.
Establish policies and
strategies to protect
learners, teachers and
staff from violence.
AJK
No
comprehensive
strategy.
FATA
No
comprehensive
strategy.
GB
No
comprehensive
strategy.
ICT
No comprehensive
strategy.
Plan to ensure
schools have
toilets and
adequate
classrooms, but
some shelterless schools
exist.
Phased
introduction of
missing
facilities.
Built infrastructure
with specific
mention of
accessibility and
gender needs.
Built infrastructure
included, but the
number of schools
is inadequate
against need.
No such
strategy.
No such
strategy.
No such strategy.
No such strategy.
Not in ESP, but
limited
availability.
Not in ESP, but
limited
availability.
Not in ESP, but
limited availability.
Not in ESP, but
limited availability.
Develop policy
against corporal
punishment
including
awareness,
prevention and
punitive
measures.
Ban corporal
punishment and
bullying.
Review education
code regarding
corporal
punishment.
Develop school
policy on prevention
of violence based
on risk assessment
and mitigation.
SDG 4.b
By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing
countries, in particular least developed countries, Small Island Developing States and
African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and
information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific
programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries.
The Education 2030 indicative strategies under SDG 4.b are:

Mechanisms, programmes and policies for international scholarship programme
reflecting national development contexts, priorities and plans.

Scholarship opportunities targeting young women and men from disadvantaged
backgrounds.

Joint programmes between universities in the home country and the recipient country to
prevent ‘brain drain’.

Increase numbers/beneficiaries for in-country scholarships.
Since higher education is generally not included in provincial/ area ESPs, tables describing
the alignment of individual ESPs with these indicative strategies have been omitted in favour
of the qualitative discussion below.
44
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
SDG 4.b, which relates to international and domestic scholarship opportunities, falls largely
under the purview of the federal HEC; none of the provincial or area ESPs includes
strategies that are directly aligned with this target. As such, progress monitoring and
achievement are both contingent on collaborations between the MoFEPT and HEC and a
shared vision for extending opportunities to marginalized students in the context of limited
resources.
HEC’s Vision 2025 has identified national priorities to guide international scholarships,
including joint programmes that may prevent brain drain. The Vision also includes increased
in-country scholarships, loan programmes, tuition waiver and laptop programmes, and
fundraising for disadvantaged students.
However, the plan identifies disadvantaged students only in terms of male/ female gender
balance and those from “under-served areas”. Provincial and area higher education
departments can play a role in identifying marginalized students, appropriate affirmative
action policies and providing support (such as language learning) to accommodate special
needs. There is also an opportunity to draw on private sector organizations, overseas
Pakistani groups, foundations, auqaf and corporate social responsibility programmes to
establish scholarships targeted at specific marginalized groups within provinces and areas.
To achieve this target, the following actions are recommended:

Provinces and areas collaborate with HEC to develop clear, contextualized definitions of
“disadvantaged students” eligible for support, and constitute expert selection panels to
eliminate political influence in awards.

Align existing bursaries and funding streams for marginalized students (eg the Punjab
Education Endowment Fund) with broader plans to include disadvantaged students in
higher education.

Work with private sector partners and other funding streams to sponsor bursaries and
places in higher education for marginalized students from specific provinces and areas.
SDG 4.c
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through
international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least
developed countries and Small Island Developing States.
Recruitment policies for new teachers are not a major area of focus in current ESPs, except
in Sindh, FATA and ICT. AJK has introduced third-party evaluation for teachers; Punjab
notes a need for improved testing for teacher recruitment but does not have specific genderfocused policies for teacher recruitment.
In practice, however, the shortage of qualified female teachers is a concern across Pakistan,
and especially in FATA and Balochistan, and a gender review of teacher recruitment across
the board would be beneficial. A stronger focus is required on ensuring gender-focused and
equitable teacher recruitment and management, not just in support of girls’ education, but to
create a more gender-balanced and positive workforce.
The HEC’s Vision 2025 includes as one of its components pre-service teacher training
programmes for 150,000 teachers annually. Pre-service teacher training is shifting towards
four-year programmes in all provinces/ areas, and this partnership with HEC offers an
opportunity to ensure that pre-service skills-based training is universal, and to explore inservice courses at international universities. Minimum qualifications for teachers have been
45
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
outlined, covering all provinces and areas, in the Minimum Standards for Quality Education
(2016), and are also outlined in the National Education Policy 2017.
ESPs emphasize the need for consolidated CPD. In Punjab, this is delivered by the
Directorate for Staff Development which is mandated also to develop and implement training
standards; KP intends to create a similar body. Sindh proposes that its Professional
Development Centre develop a mentoring and support system. Nationally, there is also a
strong move towards CPD frameworks, certification systems and links with career
progression. Multi-grade teaching, whilst undesirable, is a reality in all provinces/ areas, and
a focused CPD plan will improve teacher skills in this specific area.
This is also an opportunity to provide mandatory IT training that can support blended or
distance learning in remote or under-served areas, filling a gap in ESPs except Sindh and
Punjab.
ESPs have robust strategies to improve teacher education and training, and there is a
positive move towards systematizing both pre-service training through institutions accredited
by the National Accreditation Council for Teacher Education/ HEC and CPD through
provincial delivery systems. At the national level, coordination on CPD frameworks might
benefit all provinces and areas to avoid reduplication of efforts and to create shared
certification processes for private CPD providers.
To achieve this target provinces and areas are recommended to:

Develop and conduct gender review of policies, including related to recruitment and
remuneration, to attract and retain qualified female teachers.

Evaluate and pilot strategies to enhance teacher recruitment in under-served areas, such
as transferable qualifications, incentives for working in such areas such as provision of
accommodation, transportation and security, and creative collaborations with civil society
to recruit, train and deploy teachers.

Enhance gender-focused and equitable recruitment and management to create a more
gender-balanced, representative and empowered workforce in education.

Enhance coordination to develop nation-wide qualification, certification and CPD
frameworks.

Ensure crucial skills related to IT, multi-grade teaching, blended learning and inclusive
practices are included in pre-service training and CPD.

Develop mechanisms for institutionalized social dialogue with teachers.
Balochistan’s ESP includes a plan to create a system of continuous CPD for in-service
training, with enhanced provincial capacity to review training quality. To account for the
shortage in teachers, it recommends relaxing qualification standards in some cases.
KP aims to create a consolidated CPD system governed by a single institution, and bringing
together the many approaches and projects currently in existence.
Punjab has a highly developed CPD programme and intends consolidate it further through
an approved Punjab Strategy for Teacher Education, increased alignment with curricula, and
standards for pre- and in-service training.
The Sindh ESP covers most aspects of teacher recruitment, training and management,
including provision for gender-focused policies, pre-service training and CPD. It has a
particularly strong focus on management policies, including gender audits and policies to
prevent discrimination.
46
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Without an approved ESP, AJK has few defined strategies related to teacher development
and is in urgent need of a systematic approach designed according to its needs.
In FATA, the shortage of qualified female teachers is a major issue; indeed, many current
teachers commute from KP, and there is a concentration of teachers in more accessible
urban areas. Accordingly, the ESP emphasizes recruitment of female teachers. FATA is in
the process of development strong CPD systems and converting to a four-year qualification
programme. Since FATA has a severe teacher shortage, emphasizing IT in CPD may help
create a foundation for blended distance programmes.
GB seeks to achieve parity in the number of male and female teachers and to focus on
developing training colleges and programmes. It links appraisals to CPD.
ICT includes detailed plans related to recruitment in its ESP, including assessment of future
needs and the development of a transparent recruitment framework. A set of recruitment
rules has been introduced in schools under the PMERP. Although ICT has low gender
disparities in education, the assessment is an opportunity to enhance the gender focus. An
ongoing CPD programme is targeting all ICT teachers and will be made mandatory for
promotion, however there is no permanent institutional arrangement and lack of
sustainability is a concern.
SDG 4.c
Gender-sensitive
strategies to attract the
best and most motivated
candidates to teaching.
Review, analyse and
improve the quality of
teacher training (preservice and in-service).
Develop a qualifications
framework for teachers,
teacher trainers, teacher
supervisors and
inspectors.
Develop and implement
inclusive, equitable and
gender-sensitive teacher
management policies that
cover recruitment,
training, deployment,
remuneration, career
development and working
conditions.
Provide teachers with
adequate technological
skills to manage the
information and
communication
technology.
Mechanisms for
institutionalized social
dialogue with teachers
and their representative
organizations.
Balochistan
Recommends
merit-based
recruitment.
KP
Not explicitly
included.
Punjab
No provision for
gender-focused
recruitment
strategies.
Punjab Strategy
for Teacher
Education to be
approved.
Sindh
Increase female
teachers, gender
quotas, review
recruitment rules.
Pre-service
Redevelop
Quality assurance
education
primary teacher
for pre-service
programme.
training.
training. CPD
Development of
Managing
framework and
consolidated
institution for
support.
CPD system.
CPD.
Accreditation and
certification.
Enhanced CPD
opportunities.
The Minimum Standards for Quality Education (2016) have outlined nation-wide
standards for teachers. Standards are also outlined in the National Education
Policy (2017).
Not explicitly
included.
Aims to
redevelop
teaching
employment
rules which offer
opportunity for
equitable
policies.
Gender balanced
managerial
approach.
Substantial
measures, including
gender audits, antidiscrimination
policies, genderrelated
management
capacity.
Not explicitly
included.
Not explicitly
included.
Included, with
special mention of
use in multi-grade
teaching.
Included.
Not explicitly
included.
Not explicitly
included,
however
employment rule
changes with
union buy-in.
Not included.
Not included.
47
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
SDG 4.c
Gender-sensitive
strategies to attract the
best and most motivated
candidates to teaching.
Review, analyse and
improve the quality of
teacher training (preservice and in-service).
Develop a qualifications
framework for teachers,
teacher trainers, teacher
supervisors and
inspectors.
Develop and implement
inclusive, equitable and
gender-sensitive teacher
management policies that
cover recruitment,
training, deployment,
remuneration, career
development and working
conditions.
Provide teachers with
adequate technological
skills to manage the
information and
communication
technology.
Mechanisms for
institutionalized social
dialogue with teachers
and their representative
organizations.
48
AJK
Draft ESP does
not include
gender-sensitive
strategies.
Pre-service
training by
universities.
FATA
Strategies on
female
recruitment.
GB
Target to achieve
gender parity in
recruitment.
ICT
Assessments of
recruitment process
proposed.
Faculty
development
plan, move to
four-year preservice training.
Evidence-based
CPD and
managing
institution.
Up-to-date
training
programmes, with
new teacher
colleges and
professional
support.
Not included in
ESP.
Includes gender
awareness for
management
and proactively
aims to reduce
gender
imbalances in
management.
Aims for gender
parity amongst
teachers.
Not explicitly
included.
Not explicitly
included.
Not included.
Not included, but
provides for ITequipped teacher
support centres.
Not included.
Not included in
ESP.
Included.
Not included.
Not included.
Implement teacher
education
standards.
Comprehensive
CPD programme,
aligned with
curricula.
Monitoring.
However, CPD is
not provided under
ESP umbrella.
The Minimum Standards for Quality Education (2016) have outlined nation-wide
standards for teachers. Standards are also outlined in the National Education
Policy (2017).
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Chapter 5: SDG-4 monitoring and evaluation
The Incheon Declaration calls on
countries to:
develop comprehensive national
monitoring and evaluation systems
in order to generate sound
evidence for policy formulation and
the management of education
systems as well as to ensure
accountability.
The multiple levels of monitoring
proposed by the SDG framework
highlight the importance of national
and
regional
measurement.
Indicators for SDG monitoring should be an integral part of the monitoring and evaluation
(M&E) frameworks for national and provincial/ area ESPs, taking into account the context
and existing conceptual frameworks. These frameworks should be aligned with, and serve
regional, thematic and global monitoring for SDGs as part of an integrated M&E architecture.
5.1 Monitoring SDG-4 indicators – summary analysis
SDG 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary
and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
Learning: Data on learning at primary and lower secondary level is available from NEAS
sample-based assessments. From 2016–2017, NEAS assessments are conducted across
all provinces and areas, in both winter and summer zones, providing a more representative
sample. While there is no national learning assessment during primary school, NEAS
assessments in Grade 4 and Grade 8 provide representative learning data at the end of
primary and lower secondary levels. Provincial assessments in Punjab, Sindh and KP, whilst
not comparable, also provide province-specific data. The proposed NFE EMIS will provide
summative assessment results in reading and mathematics for learners completing primary
education.
Completion: Gross intake ratio to the last grade is not currently reported though it is
calculated for all provinces and areas using EMIS data for the first grade of primary school. It
may, however, be derived from EMIS and census data. GB expects to derive this data from
its MICS exercise, however it, along with AJK, was included in the 2017 census though their
data is tabulated separately. If this data is made available, accurate information on gross
intake may be derived. All provinces and areas have completion rates for primary, and can
calculate for higher levels. The proposed NFE EMIS will also collect data on enrolment and
completion.
Participation: While Punjab and ICT collect data by student age to yield overage data, the
capacity of other areas and provinces to do so vary. Most are able to include it in EMIS
through changes in the Annual School Census; Sindh also has the capacity to collect it
through data collected in enrolment drives for public but not private schools. All provinces
and areas have data on out of school children. Further data on over-age children may be
obtained from the proposed NFE EMIS.
49
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Provision: All provinces and areas except AJK have legislation guaranteeing at least 10
years of free and compulsory education, based on Article 25-A of the Constitution.
SDG 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood
development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
Readiness: While readiness data is not generally available, all provinces and areas may
eventually be able to calculate it using MICS. Sindh, Punjab, KP and GB have recently
conducted MICS, and a nationally-coordinated exercise covering all provinces and areas
with the current exception of FATA.
Participation: Gross pre-primary enrolment is available through nationally compiled EMIS
data, but data on participation rates in ECE is not available. ICT has begun collecting this
data in selected schools.
Provision: No province or area mandates the government to provide pre-primary education.
In Sindh legislation does not guarantee the right, but does state that government “may make
necessary arrangements for providing pre-school education” to children above three years of
age.
SDG 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality
technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.
Participation: Tertiary enrolment data is not held with the education departments but may
be obtained from HEC. TVET participation may also be obtained from NAVTTC and/ or
provincial authorities in all provinces and areas and may be easily incorporated into NEMIS.
There is an urgent need to harmonize TVET data collection and reporting at the national
level, and to ensure that students travelling to other parts of the country for training (such as
those from GB who do not have access to TVET facilities) are captured in the data for the
appropriate region. Data is not available on the percentage of youths and adults who have
participated in education and training by type of programme and age group. This data, which
has implications for social welfare and employment as well as training, may eventually be
calculated using HEC, EMIS and TVET data. This indicator points to the urgent need for
MoFEPT to take a leading role in coordinating with diverse organizations to compile SDG-4
data. Since ICT does not have an HEC allocation for places in higher education, accurate
data may be limited. Links with vocational training, and the collection of age-specific data,
will enable additional data to be obtained from new NFE institutional structures.
SDG 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant
skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and
entrepreneurship.
Skills: With a dominant focus on access to training rather than quality and relevance of
training, data on skills is almost entirely unavailable across all provinces and areas. Two of
the three indicators under this target specifically to digital and ICT skills (broken down by
type of skill). Once a coordinated TVET qualification framework is in place across Pakistan, it
should be possible to collect and report on this indicator. Limited data on youth educational
attainment is available, but this is not disaggregated by economic activity or programme
orientation as required in this indicator. Collecting this data may require methodology
development in partnership with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to include relevant
questions in its annual Labour Force Surveys.
SDG 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all
levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with
disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations.
50
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Equity: Disaggregated parity indices are collected or available via EMIS in all provinces and
areas and will be calculated in the proposed NFE EMIS. There is a need to consider
additional disaggregations, for example those related to disability, insecurity-affected areas,
transgender status, language, refugee status, etc.
Policy: Data on key indicators related to mother-language instruction and education
allocations to specific disadvantaged populations is unavailable across provinces and areas.
This is a major gap in reporting against this target, however it is proposed to be included in
the NFE EMIS. There is potential for reporting education allocations to disadvantaged
groups by assessing budget lines for individual activities in annual development plans for
provinces and areas, but education departments should coordinate with planning
departments to consider the feasibility of a more systematic approach to equity-focused
education budgeting. Education expenditure per student by level of education may be
derived in all provinces and areas (including for NFE), but sources of funding are not
collected.
SDG 4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and
women, achieve literacy and numeracy.
Skills: Literacy data for the four provinces may be obtained from national data sources such
as the annual Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) surveys.
However this data is not collected in the areas. FATA has information on reported but not
functional literacy from the FATA Development Indicators Household Survey 2015. Baseline
data may be obtained from the 2017 census, however for ongoing monitoring of progress
against this target, MoFEPT must advocate with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to include
all four areas into PSLM surveys or to support area bureaus to collect identical data. Data on
numeracy is not collected in the PSLM, and there is an opportunity to add a question to
collect this information. The newly strengthened NFE institutional structures may contribute
to data on these indicators through skills assessment and literacy rate calculations at adult
literacy centres.
Provision: While FATA has proposed collecting data on participation in literacy programmes
from enrolment figures in adult literacy centres, this data may be usefully calculated once
literacy programmes are included in EMIS and reported in annual education surveys.
Figures on enrolment in adult literacy centres will be available through strengthened NFE
institutional structures.
SDG 4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to
promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for
sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality,
promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of
cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
Provision: Desk research and methodological work is required under MoFEPT leadership to
include global citizenship education into curricula, education policies, teacher education and
student assessment. Some aspects of citizenship and life skills education are included in
NFE.
Knowledge: Proficiency in global citizenship can only be monitored once it has been
systematically included in curricula, teacher education and student assessment. As such,
monitoring this indicator is not currently possible but should be considered in future ESP
cycles. Data is not collected on student knowledge of environmental science. The MoFEPT
may guide consultations on introducing this subject in curricula and assessing through NEAS
51
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
testing, or if, in Pakistan’s context, it is appropriate to measure this indicator through student
involvement in climate change resilience.
Provision: While national government has integrated life-skills based education on HIV and
AIDS prevention into Grade 9 and 10 curricula, there is no consistent or systematic
approach provision. Measurement of this indicator is, therefore, contingent on the MoFEPT
working with health departments to develop guidelines on content, provincial and area
education departments adding the topic to the curriculum and providing teacher education,
and the MoFEPT leading the development of uniform tools to measure this data. Similarly,
methodological work led by MoFEPT is required before national reporting on human rights
education is possible.
SDG 4.a: By 2030, build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender
sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
Resources: Some data on school infrastructure is collected by all provinces and areas in
EMIS and the proposed NFE EMIS. This includes: access to drinking water and sanitation,
as well as electricity. The Annual School Census questionnaires used to collect data for
EMIS should be used to expand to additional indicators on handwashing facilities, internet
access, computer usage and accessible infrastructure. In Balochistan, which has pioneered
a real-time data collection system for EMIS, some of this information (e.g. on pedagogical
computer usage and internet access) may be usefully collected using this method. ICT
already collects data on computer use and internet access.
Environment: Data on students experiencing bullying, corporal punishment etc. is not
generally collected, except, to a limited and unsystematic extent where complaints
mechanisms have been established (e.g. in ICT). Until child protective mechanisms are
established in all provinces and areas, the MoFEPT may collect data by adding questions to
the Annual School Census. Furthermore, this data may be collected on the user side through
household surveys such as PSLM. Data on attacks on students, schools and school staff is
not collected by education departments, however there are several other mechanisms
operational, including private organizations and civil society organizations. The KP EMIS is
introducing school attack monitoring, which may be used as a model for other EMISes.
Given the gendered nature of school violence in Pakistan, it would be useful to disaggregate
this by gender.
SDG 4.b: By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to
developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States
and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and
information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific
programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries.
Data on scholarships may be obtained from the HEC. In future, work may be done to
disaggregate this data or develop anonymized questionnaires to develop profiles of
recipients by gender, age group, province/ area, rural/ urban origin, disability, religion, caste,
socioeconomic background, mother tongue, and other factors of exclusion.
SDG 4.c: By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through
international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least
developed countries and small island developing States.
There is an urgent need for MoFEPT to lead the development of teacher qualification and
training frameworks that apply to public, private and madrassah teachers alike, that are
flexible enough to accommodate both changing education landscapes and the differing
requirements of different school systems, whilst maintaining comparability. This should be
52
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
accompanied by the development of core lists of indicators related to SDG-4, that provinces
and areas can incorporate into existing or new information management systems related to
teacher qualification and training. In the case of public school teachers, this may be further
aligned with human resource databases to provide higher quality data for performance
monitoring and education decision-making.
Qualified: There is a need to develop national standards on teacher qualifications – ICT has
taken the lead on this by establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) for teachers. Once
qualification standards are agreed, it will be possible to use EMIS and human resource data
to ascertain the pupil/ qualified teacher ratio. The proposed NFE EMIS will record this data.
Trained: Data on teachers with pre-service and in-service training is not yet available, but
may be collected through modifications to existing human resource management information
systems. This exists in FATA and is under establishment in Sindh. GB raises the concern
that it may not be possible to disaggregate by teaching level in multi-grade situations;
MoFEPT must therefore develop guidelines on how to consistently present data in such
cases. The proposed NFE EMIS will record this data.
Motivated: Only FATA currently collects data related to motivation indicators (teacher
salaries and attrition rates) through its human resource management information system.
MoFEPT should lead work with the Ministry of Finance to annually benchmark and publish
teacher salaries against comparable professions, and collect motivation data through human
resource management information systems. The proposed NFE EMIS will record this data.
Supported: Data on training in the past 12 months is collected in FATA through a Personal
Training Tracking Management Information System, and in Punjab through the Directorate
for Staff Development. The proposed NFE EMIS will record this data.
5.2 Data availability by province/ area
Data availability is broadly similar across provinces and areas. As the table below shows,
provinces and areas which have conducted or are soon to conduct MICS exercises have an
advantage in some areas, such as those related to SDG 4.2 (ECE). Similarly, the four
provinces are covered by PSLM surveys which provide literacy data (SDG 4.6) that areas
are generally unable to report. In many cases (such as missing data for SDG 4.a) data may
be collected through minor modifications to Annual School Censuses, while in others (SDG
4.7; to some extent SDG 4.3–4, 4.5 and 4.c) require methodology development in the former
case and, in the latter, collaboration with partners on defining standards and collecting data
on TVET, NFE and teacher qualification/ training.
Across Pakistan, data on private schools and madrassahs is inconsistent, or simply
inadequate. In 2016, Punjab conducted a private school census, and Sindh is expected to
conduct one in 2018. However, given the large number of students enrolled in these
systems, there is a need for systematic data collection across the country.
Data currently available
Balochistan
4.1: Data on learning (1, 2),
completion (4) and
participation (5); number of
years of free and compulsory
guaranteed education (7).
Data on gross intake ratio to
last grade (3) may be
calculated.
4.2: Gross enrolment to
Data available from other
sources
4.3–4: Enrolment and
participation in tertiary and
TVET (13, 14) from HEC and
NAVTTC respectively.
Data not currently
available
4.1: Overage children (6).
4.6: Literacy data (22, 23)
from PSLM.
4.3–4: Previous year’s
participation in education/
training (15); all skills data
(16.1, 16.2, 16.3).
4.a: Data on school attacks
(34) may be obtainable from
4.2: Data on readiness (8, 9);
ECE participation (10).
53
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Data currently available
calculate pre-primary
enrolment ratio is available
(11); number of years of free
and compulsory guaranteed
pre-primary education (12).
Data available from other
sources
external organizations.
4.b: Data on scholarships
(35, 36) from HEC.
4.a: Data on handwashing
(30); internet / computer use
(31); accessibility (32); safe
environment (33).
4.a: Partial data on water,
sanitation and electricity (30,
31) available.
KP
Punjab
4.2: Readiness data from
MICS (8, 9), gross enrolment
to calculate pre-primary
enrolment ratio is available
(11); number of years of free
and compulsory guaranteed
pre-primary education (12).
4.5: Equity cross-targets
(unnumbered).
4.c: All motivation and
support indicators (41, 42,
43).
4.3–4: Enrolment and
participation in tertiary and
TVET (13, 14) from HEC and
NAVTTC respectively.
4.6: Literacy data (22, 23)
from PSLM.
4.a: Data on school attacks
(34) may be obtainable from
external organizations.
4.b: Data on scholarships
(35, 36) from HEC.
4.a: Partial data on water,
sanitation and electricity (30,
31) available.
4.1: Data on learning (1, 2),
completion (4) and
participation (5); number of
years of free and compulsory
guaranteed education (7).
Data on gross intake ratio to
last grade (3) may be
calculated.
4.2: Readiness (8, 9) from
MICS; Gross pre-primary
enrolment (11); Number of
years of free and compulsory
guaranteed pre-primary
education (12).
4.5: Equity cross-targets
(unnumbered).
4.a: Partial data on water,
sanitation and electricity (30,
31) available.
4.c: Qualification and training
54
4.2: ECE participation (10).
4.3–4: Previous year’s
participation in education/
training (15); all skills data
(16.1, 16.2, 16.3).
4.5: All policy indicators (18,
19, 20).
4.6: Participation rates (24).
4.7: All indicators require
methodology development.
4.a: Data on handwashing
(30); internet / computer use
(31); accessibility (32); safe
environment (33).
4.c: Qualification and training
standards to be nationally
defined but limited data is
available (37, 38, 39, 40).
Sindh
4.6: Participation rates (24).
4.7: All indicators require
methodology development.
4.5: Equity cross-targets
(unnumbered).
4.c: Qualification and training
standards to be nationally
defined but limited data is
available (37, 38, 39, 40).
Information not available
4.1: All data available or can
be calculated (1–7).
Data not currently
available
4.5: All policy indicators (18,
19, 20).
4.3–4: Enrolment and
participation in tertiary and
TVET (13, 14) from HEC and
NAVTTC respectively.
4.6: Literacy data (22, 23)
from PSLM.
4.a: Data on school attacks
(34) may be obtainable from
external organizations.
4.b: Data on scholarships
(35, 36) from HEC.
4.c: All motivation and
support indicators (41, 42,
43).
4.1: Overage children (6).
4.2: ECE participation (10).
4.3–4: Previous year’s
participation in education/
training (15); all skills data
(16.1, 16.2, 16.3).
4.5: All policy indicators (18,
19, 20).
4.6: Participation rates (24).
4.7: All indicators require
methodology development.
4.a: Data on handwashing
(30); internet / computer use
(31); accessibility (32); safe
environment (33).
4.c: All motivation and
support indicators (41, 42,
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Data currently available
AJK
standards to be nationally
defined but limited data is
available (37, 38, 39, 40).
4.1: Data on learning (1, 2),
will be available from NEAS
2017; completion (4) and
participation (5); years of
free and compulsory
guaranteed education (7).
Data on gross intake ratio to
last grade (3) may be
calculated.
4.2: Gross enrolment to
calculate pre-primary
enrolment ratio is available
(11); number of years of free
and compulsory guaranteed
pre-primary education (12).
Data available from other
sources
43).
4.3–4: Enrolment and
participation in tertiary and
TVET (13, 14) from HEC and
NAVTTC respectively.
4.1: Over age children (6).
4.a: Data on school attacks
(34) may be obtainable from
external organizations.
4.3–4: Previous year’s
participation in education/
training (15); all skills data
(16.1, 16.2, 16.3).
4.b: Data on scholarships
(35, 36) from HEC.
4.a: Data on handwashing
(30); internet / computer use
(31); accessibility (32); safe
environment (33).
4.c: Qualification and training
standards to be nationally
defined but limited data is
available (37, 38, 39, 40).
4.2: Gross enrolment to
calculate pre-primary
enrolment ratio is available
(11); number of years of free
and compulsory guaranteed
pre-primary education (12).
4.5: Equity cross-targets
(unnumbered).
4.a: Partial data on water,
sanitation and electricity (30,
31) available.
4.c: Qualification and training
standards to be nationally
defined but limited data is
available (37, 38, 39, 40).
Motivation and support data
(41, 42, 43) collected
through Human Resource
Information System and
Personal Training Tracking
4.5: All policy indicators (18,
19, 20).
4.7: All indicators require
methodology development.
4.a: Partial data on water,
sanitation and electricity (30,
31) available.
4.1: Data on learning (1, 2),
will be available from NEAS
2017; completion (4) and
participation (5); years of
free and compulsory
guaranteed education (7).
Data on gross intake ratio to
last grade (3) may be
calculated.
4.2: Data on readiness (8, 9);
ECE participation (10).
4.6: Literacy data (22, 23) is
not available as AJK is not
included in PSLM;
participation rates (24).
4.5: Equity cross-targets
(unnumbered).
FATA
Data not currently
available
4.3–4: Enrolment and
participation in tertiary and
TVET (13, 14) from HEC and
NAVTTC respectively.
4.a: Data on school attacks
(34) may be obtainable from
external organizations.
4.b: Data on scholarships
(35, 36) from HEC.
4.c: All motivation and
support indicators (41, 42,
43).
4.1: Over age children (6).
4.2: Data on readiness (8, 9);
ECE participation (10).
4.3–4: Previous year’s
participation in education/
training (15); all skills data
(16.1, 16.2, 16.3).
4.5: All policy indicators (18,
19, 20).
4.6: Functional literacy data
(22, 23) is broadly not
available; participation rates
(24).
4.7: All indicators require
methodology development.
4.a: Data on handwashing
(30); internet / computer use
(31); accessibility (32); safe
environment (33).
55
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Data currently available
GB
Management Information
System.
4.1: Data on learning (1, 2),
will be available from NEAS
2017; completion (4) and
participation (5); years of
free and compulsory
guaranteed education (7).
Data on gross intake ratio to
last grade (3) may be
calculated.
4.2: Readiness (8, 9) from
MICS; gross enrolment to
calculate pre-primary
enrolment ratio is available
(11); number of years of free
and compulsory guaranteed
pre-primary education (12).
Data available from other
sources
4.3–4: Enrolment and
participation in tertiary and
TVET (13, 14) from HEC and
NAVTTC respectively.
4.2: Participation rate (10) is
partially available; gross
enrolment to calculate preprimary enrolment ratio is
available (11); number of
years of free and compulsory
guaranteed pre-primary
education (12).
4.5: Equity cross-targets
(unnumbered).
4.a: Partial data on water
and sanitation (3) and all
data on electricity/ computer/
internet use (31) available.
4.c: Qualification and training
standards to be nationally
defined but limited data is
available (37, 38, 39, 40).
ICT is developing KPIs that
may stand in for qualification
standards.
56
4.2: ECE participation (10).
4.3–4: Previous year’s
participation in education/
training (15); all skills data
(16.1, 16.2, 16.3).
4.b: Data on scholarships
(35, 36) from HEC.
4.5: All policy indicators (18,
19, 20).
4.6: Functional literacy data
(22, 23) is broadly not
available; participation rates
(24).
4.7: All indicators require
methodology development.
4.a: Data on handwashing
(30); internet / computer use
(31); accessibility (32); safe
environment (33).
4.a: Partial data on water,
sanitation and electricity (30,
31) available.
ICT
4.1: Over age children (6).
4.a: Data on school attacks
(34) may be obtainable from
external organizations.
4.5: Equity cross-targets
(unnumbered).
4.c: Qualification and training
standards to be nationally
defined but limited data is
available (37, 38, 39, 40).
4.1: Data on learning (1, 2),
will be available from NEAS
2017; completion (4) and
participation (5, 6); years of
free and compulsory
guaranteed education (7).
Data on gross intake ratio to
last grade (3) may be
calculated.
Data not currently
available
4.3–4: Enrolment and
participation in tertiary and
TVET (13, 14) from HEC and
NAVTTC respectively.
However ICT is not included
in HEC allocations.
4.a: Data on school attacks
(34) may be obtainable from
external organizations.
4.b: Data on scholarships
(35, 36) from HEC.
4.2: Readiness indicators (8,
9).
4.3–4: Previous year’s
participation in education/
training (15); all skills data
(16.1, 16.2, 16.3).
4.5: All policy indicators (18,
19, 20).
4.6: Functional literacy data
(22, 23) is broadly not
available though may be
obtained from census data;
participation rates (24).
4.7: All indicators require
methodology development.
4.a: Data on handwashing
(30); accessibility (32); safe
environment (33).
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
5.3 Global and national monitoring mechanisms
To provide technical guidelines for SDG-4 and create a monitoring mechanism, a Technical
Advisory Group was established chaired by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and
including experts from the EFA Global Monitoring Report, OECD, UNESCO and UNICEF,
Member States and civil society.
This group proposed a set of thematic indicators to be used by countries as a starting point
for developing national monitoring systems and expanded or supplemented with national or
regional data. The indicator framework discussed in this chapter is thus important for
consistent and reliable tracking of global progress towards education targets.
The SDG-4 thematic indicators meet standards of technical strength, feasibility, frequency of
reporting, cross-national comparability and availability of data over time. They were selected
on the basis of four criteria:
Relevance: Indicators should reflect the most critical policy themes and emphasize
measuring learning and equity.
Alignment: Indicators should have the same meaning and significance in all settings. Some
elements are best measured globally and others at national or regional levels with flexibility
in local settings.
Potential availability: Global tracking is most effective when data is regularly collected and
in a similar manner.
Communicability: Indicators must be easily understood and lend themselves to transparent
reporting and a clear narrative regarding progress towards the goals and targets.
A small set of globally comparable indicators for all SDGs proposed by the Inter-agency and
Expert Group on SDG Indicators were adopted by ECOSOC and the UN General Assembly.
A broader set of thematic indicators based on countries’ contexts and priorities were
endorsed by the Education 2030 Steering Committee in 2016.
The EFA Global Monitoring Report, which monitoring progress against EFA targets, is now
being continued as the Global Education Monitoring Report hosted by UNESCO, to provide
independent monitoring and reporting for SDG-4 until 2030. The first report appeared in
2016.
In order to streamline an inclusive and sustainable SDG-4 M&E mechanism for Pakistan, a
coordination committee has been formed in MoFEPT to work with provinces/ areas and
stakeholder organizations for implementation and monitoring of SDG-4 related policy/plans.
Additionally, national and provincial Technical Working Groups shall be formed.
The Academy of Educational Planning & Management (AEPAM), an autonomous
organization within MoFEPT, is the apex committee for the M&E framework. Its key roles are
to:

Build NEMIS capacity on technical guidelines.

Build capacity of SDG-4 data providers and users (EMIS personnel and education
managers).

Develop and implement M&E at national and sub-national levels.
57
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan

Lead standardization of data collection, consolidation, reporting and dissemination
mechanisms.

Coordinate all national statistical units for standardized data reporting.

Harmonize indicators, methodology and coordination of M&E systems.

Develop an annual monitoring plan and standard operating procedures, and monitor,
review and report on progress against achieving SDG-4.

Act in an advisory role regarding improvements to and introduction of new systems to
collate, consolidate and disseminate SDG-4 indicators.

Establish a standardized SDG-4 information system for use in at province/ area and
district levels.

Collaborate with UN agencies to develop technical guidelines and standardized tools.

Develop procedures to improve data quality, coverage, accuracy, verification and
validation.

Sit on all national and provincial Technical Working Groups.

Disseminate Education 2030 at national/ provincial/ district levels.
5.4 Provincial and area monitoring mechanisms
The four provinces have well-established M&E mechanisms to monitor progress on
implementing their ESPs. These are typically governed by specified units that oversee
education delivery under the ESP and provide policy inputs. All have well-established M&E
networks that extend to the district level, using slightly different models. In Punjab, field
monitors collect monthly data on student attendance and enrolment, teacher presence, and
school facilities, which is reported to district monitoring officers and compiled into monthly
reports and quarterly rankings. These are communicated to education managers and
periodically to the province’s chief minister.
In Balochistan, education management and M&E is highly devolved. A Policy Planning and
Implementation Unit hosts a high-level oversight committee chaired by the chief secretary. A
local education group monitors and facilitates ESP implementation, monitoring and joint
sector reviews at provincial level, while district bodies are responsible for the same at their
respective level. Sindh follows a similar model, with a central Reform Support Unit and
independent monitoring at district level reporting to the Directorate-General of M&E. In KP,
the education secretary leads monthly and quarterly stock-takes, with joint annual reviews
based on field visits, and using a framework that summarizes expected progress annually.
In the areas, M&E systems are at an earlier stage of development. The FATA ESP proposes
a multi-tiered oversight and monitoring mechanism with a high-level oversight committee that
reviews performance periodically on the basis of a Performance Assessment Framework.
While AJK does not yet have a dedicated unit to lead education delivery and implement the
ESP, a Policy Planning and Implementation Unit has been proposed at secretariat level and
will broadly follow the same model as Balochistan, with responsibility also for EMIS.
In GB, a Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Unit will be established in the Department of
Education to strengthen existing M&E systems. This will carry out whole-school monitoring
and inspections. It is intended that the existing monitoring system by District Education
Officers will be extended to provide professional support and mentoring for teachers.
58
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Since devolution, ICT lacks a centralized steering mechanism for education. The mandate
for education is divided between the Federal Directorate of Education and the MoFEPT, and
there is a lack of coordinating mechanisms between the two. The directorate has a
multipronged monitoring system including real-time online updates from field teams, a tollfree hotline and an online complaints system.
All provincial and area M&E systems face similar challenges, as in all cases, the scope of
SDG-4 is broader than the ESPs. Expert teams will be required to support the development
of a broader M&E framework and to develop data collection methodologies for new concepts
such as those related to global citizenship. Additionally, protocols for data flows from other
sectors and data collection mechanisms, such as for TVET and tertiary education, will need
to be developed. Whilst considerable work has already been done on EMIS, more will be
required to modify Annual School Census forms and explore real-time monitoring where
appropriate, in order to collect some data.
In past years, a major concern has been that federal and provincial authorities use different
data sources due to the unavailability of recent population data, which has affected
uniformity in policymaking. As the findings of the 2017 census are published, the MoFEPT
will be required to ensure that all provinces and areas use comparable data sources in all
measuring all indicators, and to integrate data from other sources, such as key household
surveys.
5.5 Education management information systems
All provinces and most areas have EMIS units to collect, compile, analyse and disseminate
education statistics. These units collect data through district EMIS cells via an Annual School
Census questionnaire and transmit provincial data is transmitted to the National EMIS
(NEMIS). EMIS capabilities vary greatly in terms of human, financial, logistical and other
resources.
The NEMIS consolidates and collates education statistics, maintains a comprehensive
national education database, set standards for quality improvement of education data, and
provides technical support to provincial/ area and district EMISs. It publishes the Pakistan
Education Statistics, Pakistan Education Atlas and District Education Profiles, and provides
data to national and international agencies.
The NEMIS plays a coordinating role in addressing crucial issues in the compatibility of
questionnaires, statistical terminology, data requirements for core education indicators, data
discrepancies and inconsistencies, private school data, and timely availability.
It has two regulatory bodies: a technical committee that consolidates and finalizes the EMIS
database annually, finalizes EFA indicators and discusses difficulties faced in carrying out
EMIS activities; and a coordination committee that caters to national and sub-national needs
for educational planning and management information.
As part of efforts to revitalize NFE across Pakistan, AEPAM is leading the development and
institutionalization of an NFE EMIS designed to collect data relevant to SDG-4 indicators.
This system is designed to integrate with EMISes for formal education, and (as described in
section 5.1 above) will enrich both existing education data, and provide nationally
comparable data related to SDG 4.6.
While EMIS data is at the heart of monitoring mechanisms for SDG-4 targets, the holistic
and integrated nature of Education 2030 indicates a need to utilize and integrate data from
household surveys such from PSLM, MICS, etc.
59
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Chapter 6: Implementation and way forward
6.1 Implementation
Implementation of the SDG-4
roadmap for Pakistan, covering all
provinces and areas, will take
place in three phases:
Phase I: Consolidation. Led by
the MoFEPT, this phase includes a
review of all provincial and area
ESPs to create an understanding
of gaps and opportunities for
alignment
with
SDG-4
implementing strategies. These will
be consolidated into a national
document used to bring together all
stakeholders to achieve agreement
on responsibilities and next steps
to lay the foundation for SDG-4
achievement in each province or area.
This will be followed by a presentation of progress on SDG-4 at the IPEMC meeting to
develop and approve an implementation plan and coordination setup, and to propose an
outline for the SDG-4 roadmap in Pakistan.
Phase II: Implementation. The MoFEPT will coordinate with provincial and area
counterparts, related sectors and development partners to develop a five year Action Plan
for SDG-4, on mainstreaming SDG-4 in provincial education sector plans and track
budgetary allocations for related areas such as ECE, Non-Formal Basic Education, TVET
and Higher Education.
AEPAM will take the lead in M&E (see chapter 5).
An SDG-4 website will be created and maintained, compiling information such as key
documents, action plans, SDG-4 provincial documents and contacts of focal persons.
Phase III: Coordination and Monitoring. Coordination at the national level will be led by
MoFEPT, which will liaise with provincial and area education departments.
SDG-4 review meetings will be held every four months, with one held after the budget cycle,
to monitor budgetary allocations.
6.2 Coordination
Coordination for SDG-4 will take place along various dimensions. The MoFEPT will play a
central role in coordinating stakeholders, facilitating communication, and acting as a
clearinghouse for information and resource sharing. At provincial/ area levels, departments
of education will take the lead in coordinating with stakeholders within and beyond
government, drawing on MoFEPT support as required.
Inter-provincial coordination. The National Coordinator for SDG-4 at MoFEPT will be
responsible for strengthening coordination with provincial and area education departments.
S/he will work with provincial/ area coordinators nominated by the respective governments.
60
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
Inter-sectoral coordination. The MoFEPT will lead coordination with line ministries and
institutions, as well as the media, at national level, and individual departments of education
at provincial/ area levels.
Coordination with local, national and international stakeholders. Coordination with
development partners will take place on the basis of existing relationships with MoFEPT and
provincial/ area partners. Key United Nations partners include UNESCO, UNICEF, UNHCR,
UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and WFP. These organizations will facilitate and establish links
with their global technical institutes, regional offices providing coordination, advocacy and
technical support, and headquarters providing financial and advocacy support. These bodies
will also facilitate south-south knowledge exchange where appropriate.
6.3 Next steps
As the lessons of EFA have shown, developing strong institutional and coordination
structures is essential if Pakistan is to achieve SDG-4. The MoFEPT plays a central role in
this process to coordinate amongst provinces/ areas and sectors, donors and development
partners at the federal level. Additionally, by serving as a resource and information
clearinghouse, it can provide a means for provinces/ areas to learn from each other, align
progress and share human, financial and knowledge resources. As the ministry responsible
for TVET and NFE, MoFEPT has a crucial role to play in SDG-4 alignment and ensuring that
provincial/ area approaches work towards the shared objecting of achieving national goals,
and to ensure mutual accountability.
The IPEMC’s oversight role is also crucial to success. As the highest education forum in the
land, with ministerial representation from all provinces/ areas, it is an opportunity to secure
political leadership at the very highest levels and set the direction for the achievement of
SDG-4.
Based on this consolidated document, that identifies gaps and opportunities in national and
provincial/ area education sector planning and M&E, the next step for the MoFEPT is now to
lead reformulation of existing policy priorities and strategies where possible, and integrating
localized Education 2030 strategies into future planning.
As the experience from EFA implementation has shown, it is essential that planning and
budgeting be strategic, without a reliance on short-term projects that yield political dividends
but may be abandoned or left under-resourced with changing political priorities, and rarely
contribute to a unified approach to achieving long-term education outcomes.
MoFEPT must now coordinate with provincial and area education departments to:36

Realign policy goals and targets with SDG-4 / Education 2030 commitments, including
an ambitious but realistic approach to prioritization that clearly outlines policy options and
trade-offs.

Identify and address implications for individual and joint planning processes (this may be
a particular concern in FATA whose future status is still debated).

Address implications for education coordination and management, including the
establishment of mechanisms to coordinate across sectors, achieve coherence, engage
in M&E and develop strong course correction. A particular concern may be to ensure that
36
Adapted from UNESCO (2016). Mainstreaming SDG4-Education 2030 into sector-wide policy and planning:
Technical guidelines for UNESCO field offices. Available at:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002464/246475e.pdf
61
SDG-4 Gap Analysis – Pakistan
all provinces and areas are included in key data collection mechanisms, and that data
collection is aligned.

Address capacity gaps and develop mechanisms to share knowledge and human
resource.

Meaningfully address implications related to finances and human resources, working
with planning departments, donors and private partners to develop realistic plans and
aspirations. This is an opportunity to advocate for increased budgetary allocations to
education (including tertiary education), and to revisit National Finance Commission
awards for areas.
At provincial/ area level, meaningfully integrating SDG-4 into ESPs must be accompanied by
planning and budgeting for capacity gap analyses, enhanced coordination and management
at both provincial/ area and district levels, assessing the financial and human resource
implications, and exploring opportunities for cross-sectoral and public-private collaborations.
It is incumbent upon provinces/ areas to take an equity-focused approach, seeking to reach
those children and adults who are marginalized from education gains along a range of axes.
Whilst gender is rightfully a major area of focus in Pakistan, provinces and areas must also
seek to target deprivations experienced due to geography, district, rural/urban origin,
disability, child labour status, socioeconomic background, religion, security and vulnerability
to climate change, caste and linguistic background, etc. In many cases this will require
empowering local administrations whilst ensuring strong oversight.
62