WHILE much of the world continues debating how to make education accessible, affordable and inclusive, Punjab has delivered one of the most remarkable educational transformations of recent times. In just two years, 4,014,219 deserving children have been enrolled in free classrooms through the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), a milestone many developing countries have struggled to achieve over decades. Far from being an ordinary administrative accomplishment, this stands as a powerful example of how political commitment, effective governance and strong public-private partnerships can transform the lives of millions within a remarkably short period. This is not merely a promise or a future target; it is a reality already unfolding across 20,000 partner schools in all 41 districts of Punjab and one that deserves the attention of the world.

The Punjab Education Foundation, established with the mission of removing financial barriers between needy children and learning, built its success on an insight that seems simple in hindsight but proved elusive for generations of policymakers: the infrastructure already exists. Across Punjab’s villages, remote districts and underserved urban neighbourhoods, low-cost private schools were already operating modestly, without state support.........

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