Overview
- At Islamabad Model College for Girls, UNESCO and the federal education ministry turned International Day of Education into a youth-led forum where students pressed officials on AI, inequality and curriculum relevance.
- The ministry introduced a new governance litmus test, saying every policy proposal must clearly answer whether it improves learning for the child in the classroom.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spotlighted expanded scholarships, merit-based aid, the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme and TVET training via NAVTTC, including courses in AI and robotics with targeted programs for women and madrassa students.
- President Asif Ali Zardari urged treating education as a national priority grounded in Article 25-A, emphasizing digital literacy, research, innovation and the dignity of technical skills.
- UNESCO’s 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report found youth under-represented in education policymaking, urged formal student bodies, and cited Pakistan’s scale of need including 26 million out-of-school children and high learning poverty.