THE economic, social and political progress of any country depends largely on the quality of its education system. Nations that fail to invest in education inevitably lag behind in every sphere of life. History has repeatedly shown that education is the foundation of national development, making the provision of free, quality education one of the state’s foremost responsibilities.

Unfortunately, Pakistan’s education sector continues to face serious challenges. A recent UNESCO report highlights the weaknesses of the country’s education system. According to the report, the literacy rate among people aged ten years and above has increased only marginally, from 61 per cent to 63 per cent. It also reveals that thousands of public schools across the provinces, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, lack basic facilities such as toilets, furniture, electricity, boundary walls, classrooms, textbooks and,........

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