ublic education remains far from the core priorities of the ruling elite in Pakistan. The transformative ideas of Paulo Freire—articulated in his seminal work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed— therefore, offer critical insights. In a country where most people lack access to meaningful learning opportunities, Freire’s philosophy can be a roadmap for empowerment and liberation.

The disorientation of Pakistan’s education system is evident in its fragmented, class-based and multi-tiered structure. It is a system without coherence or a guiding vision. There are various parallel streams—such as elite private schools, low-cost private schools, madrasas and underfunded public institutions—each operating in isolation. Together they reinforce socio-economic hierarchies rather than bridging them. The disparity between English-medium and Urdu-medium instruction alone creates vast inequalities in access to higher education and employment opportunities.

Worse still, both the primary and tertiary sectors of education have been left largely unattended. Public schools at the foundational level suffer from chronic neglect, lacking basic infrastructure, qualified teachers and updated curricula. Meanwhile, higher education remains exclusive, under-funded and increasingly privatised, accessible only to a privileged few. The state’s abdication of its responsibility to provide universal quality education has led to the brazen privatisation of what should be a fundamental right. Education, like healthcare and housing, has become a commodity, available in varying quality and cost depending on one’s class.

The system mirrors the legacy of colonial rule where education was designed not to liberate but to produce compliant subjects. It perpetuates a status quo that benefits the powerful and marginalises the rest. Freire’s call for a dialogical, problem-posing education becomes especially relevant in this context. He challenges the “banking model” of education—where students are treated as empty vessels to be filled—and advocates instead for a pedagogy that encourages critical thinking, self-reflection and active participation in the struggle for justice.

In Pakistan’s case, Freirean pedagogy offers the possibility of reimagining education not as a means of elite reproduction, but as a collective endeavour toward humanisation and social........

© The News on Sunday