nequal opportunities for education deepen learning poverty and widen social disparities in a society. The rural-urban divide and segregated public and private educational systems exacerbate such inequalities, leading to visible gaps in learners’ skills and competencies across various strata, thereby privileging the elites. This may prove harmful to the social fabric over the coming years.

Pakistan’s education system is inadequate for nurturing positive educational outcomes for all learners. It ends up limiting human resource capital’s contribution to economic development. Although the government is offering scholarships to ensure more equitable access to underprivileged learners, the steps taken so far are insufficient to address the widening gap among learners from various social classes. Many aspects of the system demand a serious overhaul.

There is a significant disconnect between schools and higher education in Pakistan. School heads and teachers are unaware and uninterested in the policies and vision of higher education institutions. , As a result, their practices do not align well with those of the universities. Much talent at schools goes waste due to a lack of guidance and clarity among students. Internationally, many universities have developed excellent liaison programmes with schools to inspire students, develop their mindset and equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills for transitioning to higher education. Such collaboration is lacking in our country.

Efforts in higher secondary schools should be directed towards developing collaborations and bringing secondary school learners closer to higher education before their actual transition to universities. For effective higher secondary school collaboration with universities, students in higher education should to be mobilised.

The universities can start mentorship programmes, where students in higher education may mentor school students on academic choices, university applications and navigating higher education challenges. Such workshops and information sharing sessions may also be extended to parents and community members to demystify university admissions processes and highlight the importance of higher education. The students may also be engaged in collaborative community services that emphasise leadership, teamwork, collaboration, coordination and social responsibility, making the transition to higher education more relatable.

The universities in Pakistan may plan summer bridge programmes (SBPs) to prepare students for the academic rigour of higher education, focusing on essential soft skills like study habits, time management and critical thinking. They may also provide counselling support by conducting joint advising sessions where high school heads/ teachers/ counsellors may collaborate with universities’ facilitation centres to guide students through the university application process.

There is a need to commit to and take action to handle the prevailing inequities fairly and to create a safe and non-threatening environment for vulnerable, reluctant and invisible learners.

Financial literacy workshops may be devised to educate students and parents about available financial grants, scholarships and budgeting to address parents’ financial concerns that might hinder enrollment. Universities and other higher education institutions should develop and implement fair policies to ensure equitable educational access and equity-based scholarships for underprivileged youth. To promote academic equity, equitable funding is needed. This may include fulfilling the need for basic learning resources, necessary to provide high-quality education to all students in the rapidly changing world.

Pakistan’s education system struggles to improve the quality of teachers and build their capacity to create a quality teaching-learning environment. Teachers, in certain situations, might tend to be unfair, unjust, gender-biased and/ or biased for personal reasons. This may amount to intellectual corruption, dishonesty in performing duties and indulgence in discriminatory behaviours. So far, teacher training in Pakistan has predominantly focused on the technical aspects of teaching. The personal, social and ethical aspects of teaching have been accorded lower priority in teacher training. Internationally, ethical pedagogies are gaining attention and being put into practice

to counter inequities on the teachers’ part. In this regard, equity pedagogy is being introduced to address and eradicate inequities that students face in the instructional processes. This fosters an inclusive and equitable environment for all, where all the students, teachers and staff feel valued and the diverse needs of students are met. This strengthens their sense of achievement and belonging and fosters a culture of collaboration, coordination, peace and harmony.

The tilt towards equity and inclusivity is a challenge for systems where basic human values are at a deficit. Practising basic values, such as responsibility, honesty, sincerity and devotion to work; treating everyone with respect and kindness; extending care to struggling students; and avoiding judgments based on bias or prejudices, do not require a budget. There is a need to commit to and take action to handle the prevailing inequities and to create a safe and non-threatening environment for vulnerable, reluctant and invisible learners. Efforts have to be made to formulate and implement an equitable curriculum for students that meets the diverse needs and capabilities of learners.

In times of economic and societal crises, mass education still needs to be equitable. Every learner must get maximum learning opportunities. Efforts to ensure equity are the hallmark of equitable learning organisations. Such institutions contribute to transforming societies into communities. The need of the hour is to design calculated reforms for educational institutions to target inequalities and inequity to maximise educational opportunities for all.

Dr Iram Uzair is an assistant professor of education.

Dr M Uzair-ul-Hassan is an associate professor of education at the University of Sargodha. They can be reached at irumiqbaluos@gmail.com and uhassan74@gmail.com