National Education Conference 2025 — Educate to Empower: Learning What Matters

Where: Islamabad · When: July 2025

Intro:

Education in Pakistan needs reform beyond rote memorisation. To prepare students for the future, classrooms must build 21st-century skills — critical thinking, creativity, digital literacy, empathy, and resilience. To confront this, PCE convened the National Education Conference 2025, bringing local and global educators, policymakers, youth leaders, and researchers together to imagine an equitable, inclusive, technology-driven, and future-ready system.

Welcome - Zehra Arshad (National Coordinator, PCE) opened by setting the context of the day and stressing on the need for a holistic education that provides youth with a breadth of competencies to thrive. 

Keynote — Dr. Faisal Bari (Vice Chancellor, National Institute of Technology, CEO, IDEAS) argued that foundational and applied learning must run through every phase of education, championing flexible, student-centred delivery and multiple learning pathways over rigid conventional models.

"What is critically needed is a system rooted in strong foundational learning that naturally builds toward skill development — a flexible, open, and inclusive system that accommodates diverse learner journeys."  Dr. Faisal Bari

Panels & sessions

The Future of Learning and Skills: Connecting Global Insights to Local Action 

Moderated by Ali Kemal (Economist, MoPD&SI & board member, PCE), with Izzah Farrukh (Senior Education Expert, World Bank), Itfaq Khaliq (Global Technical Lead, Sightsavers), Abid Gill (Deputy Chief Advisor, JICA), and Rahat Rizwan (Senior Coordinator, Education and Early Childhood Development, IRC). The panel examined the paradox of technology in learning — AI and digital tools as both opportunity and a risk of deepening inequality and cognitive dependency — against a backdrop of 65% learning poverty and 12–13 million children with disabilities left underserved. It compared Pakistan's outdated curriculum to forward-looking models, and critiqued Parent-Teacher Management Committees as surface-level.

• Izzah Farrukh (Education Expert, World Bank): "Schools and local governments need the tools, autonomy, and authority to shape education that fits their communities… localized academic calendars and structures rather than rigid provincial directives."

• Rahat Rizwan (Senior Coordinator, Education and Early Childhood Development, IRC): "Education is frequently viewed in isolation… a more integrated understanding recognises its deep associations with economic well-being, health, livelihoods, and WASH."

• Itfaq Khaliq, Global Technical Lead - Sight Savers: “Drawing upon local knowledge systems and traditional wisdom, and integrating them into educational practice, can foster a more accessible and inclusive learning experience for all children, especially those most often left behind.”

• Abid Gill, Deputy Chief Advisor - JICA: “The rigidity of the education system, entrenched in textbook boards and curriculum authorities, acts as a barrier to innovation.”

• Recommendations: give schools and local governments real autonomy responsive to regional needs; reduce stigma around children with disabilities and strengthen Universal Design for Learning; replace rigid, content-heavy prescriptions with broad objectives that empower teachers; integrate education planning with health, livelihoods, and WASH; and build frameworks for responsible AI that enhance rather than replace critical thinking.

Mapping Skills for the Future: Capturing Student Aspiration at the District Level 

Urwa Naeem (Program Coordinator, PCE) presented findings from PCE's skills-mapping survey: while most students reported only beginner or intermediate proficiency, there was overwhelming demand for digital and technological skills — coding, AI, freelancing — alongside vocational training and personal-development competencies. In a live prioritisation exercise, participants named digital literacy and critical thinking as the most urgent skills for Pakistan's youth.

Multi-Sectoral Expert Dialogue: Perspectives Across Policy, Pedagogy & Practice 

Moderated by Dr. Shahid Soroya (Director General, Pakistan Institute of Education), with Sabiha Shaheen (Focal Person - National Adolescent and Youth Policy), Zafarullah Khan (Chief Executive - Ideas for Vision 2047), Asim Safeer Pasha (Chief Programme and Human Resource Officer - Punjab Skill Development Fund), Mohammad Safdar (Chartered Accountant - ICAP), and Abia Akram (Executive Director - National Forum of Women with Disabilities). The panel argued that policymaking, pedagogy, and practice must reinforce one another — embedding the voices of youth, women, and marginalised groups; strengthening civic and constitutional education; treating technology as a bridge to inclusion; and closing the disconnect between education and the labour market by destigmatising vocational training and linking universities with industry.

• Abia Akram (Executive Director - National Forum of Women with Disabilities): "Disability inclusion is not charity, it is a human right. Access to education, opportunities, and technology must be prioritised through budget allocations for accessible infrastructure, assistive technologies, and teacher training."

• Sabeeha Shaheen (Focal Person - National Adolescent and Youth Policy): "Inclusive policymaking under the 4Es model — Education, Employment, Engagement, and Empowerment — must be the foundation of youth development."

• Zafarullah Khan (Chief Executive - Ideas for Vision 2047): “What kind of educated individuals does Pakistan need? Young people cannot become active, informed citizens without civic and constitutional education. Education must move away from rote methods toward participatory learning, with renewed investment in teacher training and the revival of sports for holistic growth.”

• Asim Safeer Pasha (Chief Programme and Human Resource Officer - Punjab Skill Development Fund): “There is a clear disconnect between industrial growth and employment opportunities. Vocational training must be destigmatized, and women’s empowerment through digital entrepreneurship and e-commerce can unlock untapped potential. Programs like Parwaz can prepare youth for overseas markets and boost national income.”

• Mohammad Safdar (Chartered Accountant - ICAP): “Higher education must be aligned with industry needs. Universities must collaborate with industries to close skill gaps and prepare students for the future. We must combine global insights with local realities and empower learners to adopt lifelong, technology-driven learning.

• Recommendations: institutionalise youth participation in policymaking ; embed civic and constitutional education in the curriculum; destigmatise and mainstream vocational education; guarantee budget for inclusive infrastructure and assistive technology; and establish structured university–industry partnerships for curriculum alignment.

Youth Innovation Policy Pitches 

A defining moment of the conference emerged through the "Youth Policy Innovation Pitches" session, where PCE amplified young changemakers to present bold, actionable ideas to transform education in Pakistan. Rooted in the realities and aspirations of students, each pitch showcased innovative solutions aimed at reforming the education system with a focus on equity, access, and opportunities for marginalized and underserved learners. By shifting the traditional policy-making approach, this youth-led session placed young voices at the center, challenging decision-makers to listen, engage, and respond with tangible commitments and suggestions to reimagine education for the future.

Report Launch - Learning What Matters 

Zehra Arshad officially led the launch of PCE's report Learning What Matters, produced as part of the Network for Education Systems Transformation (NEST). She set the challenge plainly — Pakistan's 25 million out-of-school children, the absence of 21st-century classroom skills, and weak coordination between institutions — and called to "reimagine our education system and redefine its purpose," aligning purpose, pedagogy, sustainability, and power so youth aspirations are built into national policy.

Grand Plenary - Reimagining Pakistan's Education Emergency: Fostering the 3Cs (Capacity, Commitment, Cohesion) 

Moderated by Haris Khalique (President, PCE Board), with Dr. Fouzia Khan (Chief Executive Advisor - Sindh Education and Literacy Department),, Dr. Faisal Bari (Vice Chancellor, National Institute of Technology, CEO, IDEAS), and Dr. Zaighum Qadeer (Director Research, Pakistan Institute of Education). The closing plenary pressed for data-driven strategies, citizen engagement, and political commitment, warning that piecemeal reform won't close the gap between Article 25-A and the classroom.

• Dr. Zaighum Qadeer: “Nearly 50% of students drop out of the formal education system. Without ownership of data, reforms cannot begin. Publishing education statistics is critical for transparency and to mobilize collective action.”

• Dr. Fouzia Khan, Chief Executive Advisor - Sindh Education and Literacy Department: “Communities must demand accountability. When citizens disengage, schools deteriorate. Teacher training must move beyond donor-driven programs toward nationally rooted, course-specific solutions.”

• Dr. Faisal Bari, Chief Executive Officer - IDEAS: “Quality education is unaffordable for 50–70% of families. Unless education is treated as a national emergency, resource allocation will remain inadequate. Decentralization is essential to make the system responsive and inclusive.”

• Recommendations: strengthen publication and public ownership of education data (dropout rates run near 50%); increase public financing to reduce reliance on the private sector; prioritise girls' education for its outsized social returns; implement genuine decentralisation; and align teacher recruitment with classroom ability, not just credentials.

Youth-led & women-owned enterprise showcase 

An exhibition giving young innovators and women entrepreneurs a platform to present products, share their journeys, and connect with investors. 

Islamabad Declaration: 

Distilling the key recommendations from the discussions and youth pitches, a joint statement was established titled the ‘Islamabad Declaration’ which was signed and endorsed by all key representatives present. Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Parliamentary Secretary for Education, graced the event as the chief guest. She officially endorsed the declaration and committed to taking up the recommendations into education policy and programming. 

Farah Naz, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT)

“The path forward demands more than policy declarations; it requires the political will to transform Article 25-A from constitutional text into classroom reality. Today's dialogue reminds us that true educational transformation happens when government commitment meets community engagement, data drives decisions, and we treat education not as an expense but as the most vital investment in Pakistan's future.”

Alongside the conference — Youth Dialogue (Day 2) 

A dedicated platform for young people to engage government and policymakers directly on reform, digital and financial literacy, and skills development, and to shape national policy. 

• See more here!

Watch & see: [livestream embed]

[photo gallery]

[Reports linked]