Pakistan’s education crisis across its provinces extends far beyond the problem of access. Data indicates deep-rooted issues of quality and equity. In this article, Anzal Abbas Jaffari highlights the issue of lack of quality of education in Sindh province and the local case of an organization Bagh-e-Sakina is discussed to evaluate the impact of activity-based education to foster empathy, inclusion, and critical thinking in low-income schools of Karachi. Through community partnerships and locally tailored interventions, it demonstrates how education can become a tool for social transformation.
The Educational Crisis in Pakistan
Pakistan is a signatory to United Nations Convention on Children Rights (UNCRC) which aims to lay out a comprehensive framework for the protection of children welfare. However, children in Pakistan across different provinces continue to witness institutional and individual neglect at multiple levels. 22.8 million children out of school, Pakistan has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally. However, this statistic merely scratches the surface of a multidimensional problem affecting millions of young lives. These structural problems are present across the country. Two important data points from the Pakistan’s province of Sindh educational landscape provide context to the social intervention highlighted below:
- According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), most children are unable to read and understand a story by the end of Grade 5, despite being introduced to reading and writing in English as early as Grade 1
- Most classes focus on the teacher instead of the students. Students are not active in the classroom and mostly listen without taking part. Teachers mainly try to finish the syllabus and do not think about what the students need. There are very few lessons that include hands-on activities, and even those are just done as a routine. Teachers also do not ask deep or thoughtful questions, and classroom visits showed poor results in this area.
This reveals a systematic and deep-rooted crisis of education in the province. It identifies that the problem of education is beyond the matrix of ‘access’. Even students who are in government or low-tier private schools continue to struggle because of the lack of quality of education.
The Role of Community Initiatives
This challenging landscape also provides a number of opportunities for social entrepreneurs to come up with innovative solutions. In this article, I argue through the experience of a project implemented in Karachi, Pakistan. This social initiative was founded by me and further developed in collaboration with several partners. This case study aims to offer first-hand insight into the complexities of the social structure and spark greater interest in the field.
Organizations like Bagh-e-Sakina—a social enterprise addressing children’s welfare in Pakistan through innovative solutions—are operating under challenging conditions. Pakistan lacks legal recognition for social enterprises i.e. tax benefits, ease of doing business etc. Moreover, recent government regulations have made NGO registration increasingly difficult.
Post 18th amendment, education as a subject has been dissolved to provinces in Pakistan. The range of problems every province face can be different.
However, shrinking fiscal space from IMF programs, cuts in education spending, and a broader focus on ‘infrastructure’ alone rather than quality are common policy flaws across all provinces, with some regional variation.
Promoting social entrepreneurship as a policy tool can help the governments resolve two main problems:
- lack of quality (well-researched) and contextualized solutions
- Lack of resources (financial and non-financial)
Therefore, social entrepreneurs can help to develop innovative and sustainable solutions that focus on strengthening community partnerships and creating social value.
In a project with Institute of Strategic Dialogue (Young Cities) and Hive Pakistan, we at Bagh-e-Sakina introduced a program for low middle income schools of Karachi, where children either pay subsidized fee or study free of cost. The program’s key component included a specially designed Activity Book—”Play, Learn and Act”—tailored for students aged 9-12. An activity based three day training for students and teachers complemented this activity book. These materials orient children to essential topics like empathy, tolerance, safe use of social media, and civic engagement through play-based learning. The aim is to create spaces where children can explore concepts of citizenship and rights through engaging exercises. The activity books were designed based on direct feedback from school’s heads of departments, teachers, and children themselves, ensuring relevance and effectiveness. By providing these books to all participating schools, Bagh-e-Sakina created resources that help students refresh and reinforce their training experience long after the sessions have ended. This holistic approach to educational materials demonstrates an understanding that effective learning requires both engaging content and appropriate tools.
The program focused on multiple schools located in Karachi’s District South (Lyari) and District East (PECHS & Garden Area). During this 1 year program, around 1500+ children and 50+ teachers were trained.
Impact of Intervention & Community Feedback
The impact of these interventions has been rigorously measured and documented. Pre/Post training surveys showed remarkable improvement among the children, with over 50% increase in knowledge related to the training material. At CFT Trust School, around 90% of students showed positive engagement after training, while Ghulaman-e-Abbas School and Zehra Homes reported 60% and 70% positive engagement respectively. According to teacher feedback, students frequently referenced the training material both in their classrooms and with their families, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness in creating lasting knowledge transfer. Teacher engagement in these sessions was notably high, with qualitative feedback sessions revealing strong positive responses. School principals from participating institutions provided endorsements of the program’s effectiveness, highlighting how the training complemented their educational objectives while addressing critical social gaps.
Bagh-e-Sakina, as a case study, demonstrates that the impact of such a diverse program extends beyond classroom activities and fosters broader community engagement. By developing trust with local communities—including parents, teachers, and community leaders—they create sustainable pathways for continued learning.
Stakeholders such as teachers and parents operate in a demanding space, where educational content can be highly sensitive due to political or religious connotations. As a result, many resources must be carefully repackaged to align with community norms while still achieving key project goals. For example, something as simple as ‘civic education’ can be challenged because people generally don’t want their children to study ‘political’ stuff. This trust-building process involves extensive dialogue, cultural sensitivity, and a genuine commitment to understanding local contexts. Social entrepreneurs can play a crucial role in bridging the gap between community needs and broader policy objectives, as they are often well-versed in navigating complex local dynamics.
As an external actor, the primary contribution of such projects is not material resources but rather knowledge inputs, coaching, and facilitation skills that help communities leverage their existing strengths. This non-material support often proves more valuable and sustainable than financial interventions alone.
The organization’s approach should ideally demonstrate how external actors can successfully navigate complex social environments by:
- Building authentic relationships with community stakeholders
- Respecting local knowledge while introducing new perspectives
- Creating networks that connect previously isolated groups
- Providing skills and knowledge that complement local resources
The Broader Impact: From Classroom to Society
The work of such initiatives extends far beyond classroom walls. By fostering critical thinking, empathy, and inclusive attitudes, they contribute to developing more engaged citizens who can participate meaningfully in democratic processes.
Cultivating a sense of fundamental rights and responsibilities among children can inspire change at the structural level. When children understand their rights and develop empathy for others, they become potential agents of social transformation.
In a country where political divisions often follow ethnic, religious, or socioeconomic lines, creating spaces for dialogue across differences is critical. Children who learn to question stereotypes, practice empathy, and engage critically with social issues grow into adults better equipped to resist extremism and contribute to peaceful civic life.
Navigating Challenges and Learning
A number of organizations work across the global south to improve community welfare. It is important to note that for a society wide impact it is essential for governments to formally recognize the role of social entrepreneurs. Sustainable and scalable solutions need favorable regulatory processes, better access to resources (grants, loans, subsidies, tax benefits). Although the project under discussion was implemented on a very small scale there were a number of challenges to encounter. These challenges include (but are not limited to) lack of resources, expertise, bureaucratic hurdles etc.
Addressing Pakistan’s educational challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that combines policy reform, infrastructure investment, and community-based initiatives. Organizations like Bagh-e-Sakina demonstrate that targeted interventions addressing both academic content and social dynamics can create meaningful change even within resource-constrained environments. However, it is important to note that community led models cannot thrive without active government support. These community led models also need technical support like better monitoring and evaluation systems, expertise to enhance content of the material, mentorship and tools to meet community needs.
As Pakistan continues to navigate complex social, economic, and political challenges, the need for holistic educational approaches grows more urgent. By fostering citizenship skills, critical thinking, and inclusive attitudes, such programs help schools prepare holistic young individuals.
The views expressed in this post are those of the author and in no way reflect those of the International Development LSE blog or the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Featured image credit: Syeda Mahiba for Bagh-e-Sakina.
