From crisis to transformation: advancing evidence-based education reform in Pakistan

With 26 million children out of school and thousands of classrooms destroyed by the catastrophic floods of 2022, Pakistan's education system faces unprecedented challenges. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's declaration of an 'Education Emergency' in May last year highlighted the urgency of the situation. On 19th February, we brought together the country's leading education experts, policymakers and practitioners in Islamabad to tackle these challenges head-on through our Data and Research in Education – Research Consortium (DARE-RC).

 Panel of speakers at DARE-RC symposium, including left to right: Dr Monazza Aslam, Research Director, DARE-RC, Abdur Rauf Khan, Country Director OPM Pakistan, Jo Moir, Development Director at British High Commission in Islamabad, Mr Salim Salamah, Education Policy Advisor, British High Commission, Islamabad.

The stark reality of Pakistan's educational landscape speaks for itself. Only 55% of fifth-grade students can read a simple story in Urdu, and fewer than half can solve basic division problems. For girls, children with disabilities, and those in underserved regions like Balochistan and Sindh, these challenges are particularly severe.

Dr Monazza Aslam, Research Director, DARE-RC

"Through actionable research and strategic collaborations, DARE-RC aims to catalyse a transformative, systems-level shift in Pakistan's education landscape," said Dr. Monazza Aslam, Research Director of DARE-RC. "Our goal is to enable inclusive, resilient, and scalable solutions to deliver high-quality learning for all children."

Research-led solutions

The symposium showcased emerging insights across five key areas of our research. A dedicated session on teachers and teaching quality examined how teacher learning influences classroom outcomes, exploring innovations in digital professional development and addressing the complexities of teaching in multilingual settings.

Inclusion took centre stage in discussions about marginalised communities, where researchers presented findings on disability-inclusive data systems and the daily educational experiences of children with disabilities. The session also tackled persistent challenges in girls' enrolment in middle schools and the barriers faced by religious minority groups.

Climate resilience emerged as a crucial theme, with researchers sharing strategies for maintaining educational continuity during environmental crises. The devastating floods of 2022, which affected 33 million people and submerged one-third of the country, served as a stark reminder of why this work matters.

The symposium also delved into system-level reforms, examining Punjab's teacher e-transfer policy and evaluating various models of public-private partnerships in education. A final session focused on using data for scaling successful interventions while ensuring they reach the most marginalised communities, backed by predictive modelling for policy impact assessment.

Building a resilient future

Senator Bushra Anjum, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training

Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, emphasised the value of evidence-based policymaking. "It's great that programmes like DARE-RC exist to bridge the gap between policy and evidence. We look forward to the impact DARE-RC aims to create through its rigorous evidence-based research."

Our 30-month DARE-RC programme, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), brings together our expertise with the Aga Khan University Institute for Education Development and Sightsavers in a unique collaboration. Working alongside policymakers and civil society organisations, we're developing practical solutions tailored to Pakistan's complex educational landscape.

Ms. Jo Moir, Development Director at British High Commission in Islamabad, highlighted the programme's broader significance: "Through the DARE-RC project, FCDO's ambition is to build a strong, innovative evidence base of research in education and make it global and have it inform global practice."

As Pakistan grapples with its education emergency, our work through DARE-RC offers a clear path forward. By understanding what works, why it works, and how it can be scaled, we're helping to build an education system that delivers quality learning for every child in Pakistan.

DARE-RC symposium organisers including colleagues from Oxford Policy Management, AKU-IED, and Sightsavers.

Click here to learn more about DARE-RC’s research priorities and areas.

About DARE-RC

The Data and Research in Education-Research Consortium (DARE-RC) is an FCDO funded multi-year project which aims to work towards achieving three outputs:

1. Generate high quality and accessible research on what works to improve education in Pakistan: conduct a consultative process of planning, commissioning, overseeing, and producing high quality research on different education thematic areas, to improve the body and quality of education research in Pakistan.

2. Strengthen domestic education research capacity: undertake capacity strengthening activities for education research users in federal and provincial governments to understand and use research effectively in policy making.

3. Effective stakeholder engagement, communication, and dissemination of research: work on stakeholder engagement activities, including informal and formal opportunities for users and producers of research to engage in dialogue on evidence-based policy making. Communication and dissemination of DARE-RC research products will employ the most effective channels for uptake by the intended audiences, creating the most impact for informing policy and practice.