KARACHI: Students of the Aga Khan University Institute of Educational Development (AKU-IED) analysed the election manifestos of four major political parties — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) — and found that educational priorities did not feature prominently in their manifestos, it emerged on Tuesday.

The students, who are doing M.Phil in Education, presented their analysis at a policy dialogue — Overcoming Educational Policy Challenges Through Better Governance — held in collaboration with the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) on Tuesday.

One of the stark findings of the analysis was that none of the parties even hinted at the revival of student unions.

The students, who are doing M.Phil in Education, established 16 parameters, including education for out-of-school children, character education, inclusive education, gender disparities, mental health of students and teachers, technology challenges, and more.

Research students find PML-N, PPP, PTI and MQM-P did not mention revival of student union in their plans

Based on these parameters, they developed a rubric to evaluate the manifestos and assess the performance of their respective policies.

The analysis highlighted that educational priorities did not feature prominently in the manifestos of the four parties and those that did, either lacked planning mechanism or failed to mention resources through which they could achieve their claims.

While all political parties kept teacher training as part of their manifestos, not one party mentioned efforts towards improving school leadership.

According to a press release issued here, the dialogue served as a platform for engaging experts and stakeholders, fostering innovative strategies for governance enhancement, gaining valuable insights into improving educational outcomes and contributing to the development of a comprehensive policy roadmap for sustainable progress.

The panel also featured Dr Riaz Ahmed Shaikh, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education at Szabist; Sadiqa Salahuddin, founder and executive director of the Indus Resource Centre; Prof Farid Panjwani, dean of AKU-IED; Jamil Ahmed Khan, former ambassador and advisor to the president at AKU; Sindh MPA Maleeha Manzoor; MPA Nausheen Adnan, member of the Pubjab CM advisory committee on education; and Sukhdev Hemnani, board member of the Sindh Human Rights Commission.

The sessions were moderated by Peter Jacob, executive director, and Tayyaba Rafiq, project coordinator, both representing the CSJ.

Reflecting on the importance of effective policy implementation, Prof Panjwani emphasised: “The true success of policy lies not just in its creation, but in its effective execution. Bridging the gap between policy and action requires strong collaboration across stakeholders. It’s through open dialogue and a focus on shared goals that we can unlock the full potential of our education system. By fostering continuous communication and accountability, we can ensure that sound policies translate into real benefits for our students and the nation.”

In his closing remarks, Mr Jacob welcomed the government’s education reform announcement saying, “We are hopeful that the current dialogue will continue and help improve educational standards, leading to increasing the quality of education system overall.”

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2024