KARACHI: Educationists, teachers and policymakers have said that the teaching profession is facing a decline in status and respect as teachers are increasingly undervalued, given insufficient salaries and limited benefits as well as recognition for their vital role in society.

They were addressing an event, organised on Saturday by the Pakistan Women’s Foundation for Peace (PWFFP), to celebrate Teachers’ Day, a week ahead of the Unesco-designated date of Oct 5.

The event aimed to reflect on the declining status of teachers in Pakistan, underscore the need for teacher empowerment, and highlight the vital role teachers play in shaping nations.

Speakers included Dr Farid Panjwani, dean at the Institute for Educational Development, Aga Khan University, Ambreena Ahmed, director of the Teachers Resource Centre, Shahnaz Wazir Ali, president Szabist University, Nargis Rehman, chairperson PWFFP, and renowned educator Roshan Muncherjee of Karachi Grammar School among others.

Younger voices like Ahmed Saya, winner of the Cambridge Cup for Best Teacher (2019), and Yousuf Jameel Laghari, a government school teacher from Khairpur and national award winner, also spoke on the occasion.

The speakers were of the view that while digital tools offer new opportunities in pedagogy, the core of education remains the teacher. No technology can replace the empathy, mentorship, and role-modelling that a good teacher provides, they believed.

They lamented the erosion of the teacher’s status in society, especially in Pakistan, once home to revered scholars. Concerns were also raised about the growing presence of commercial tuition centres, seen by many as undermining formal education systems and teacher accountability.

Several initiatives underway to professionalise teaching, including updated certification programmes and collaborative efforts with the Sindh government, were also highlighted.

The event concluded with a unanimous call for serious reforms in the education sector, where teachers are not only trained and equipped but respected as nation-builders.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2025