nsuring that education is accessible and equitable is a moral imperative, one that has been echoed in all religions and emphasised in the Constitution of Pakistan. Despite the significance of education, we, as a society, have been unable to provide this fundamental right to millions of our children. Today, there are 20-23 million out of school children in Pakistan, with at least 2 million more girls than boys – a fact that should spark national moral outrage. With the growing waves of prejudice, ignorance, oppression and exploitation, education is a flame that could illuminate Pakistan’s path to prosperity. Thus, it becomes a moral obligation on each of us to play a part in ensuring that quality education is provided to every child.

The depth of the education crisis is such that a solution cannot be provided by the state alone. Unless the private sector and non-profit organisations support the government, every child will not be able to go to school. Innovative partnerships and strong public-private alliances have been successful not just in Pakistan, but all over the world. For the past twenty-five years, I have been part of several government efforts and non-profit organisations striving to ensure universal education. Some of the lessons and reflections from this time that could inform a model for sustainable and quality education in Pakistan are listed below:

1. Not every community has a school but every community in Pakistan has a mosque or church or temple. A place of worship of any religion should be declared a centre of education and there should be provision for formal or non-formal education, not necessarily religious education.

2. Non-formal basic education has been a successful experiment in South Asia, especially in Bangladesh. BRAC and other such institutions have made extraordinary efforts to increase the literacy rate. Under this model, twenty or thirty boys and girls in any village or remote small town have a teacher who is responsible for their education up to primary level.

3. There are thousands of primary schools running under the supervision of the government across the country. Non-profit organisations can be engaged to improve the quality of these schools, provide basic facilities and train teachers. There are precedents from developing countries and Pakistan of the success of such public-private partnerships in improving the quality of and access to education.

4. Exploring ways in promoting local ownership of schools is critical. The way a village owns the schools will be different across the country, however, it will ensure that the quality of teaching, the attendance of children and the state of school buildings become a community-driven initiative. Securing the support of local philanthropists, activists and opinion-makers can create an enabling environment not only to ensure that children go to school but also that they stay in school and get access to quality education.

Partnerships – with non-profits and local communities – are going to be critical to any model of sustainability we explore. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the nature and scope of the education emergency that confronts Pakistan, but there is hope and there are solutions.

5. The arrangement of the second shift in schools was tried several times in the past but was abandoned before reaching its desired outcome. This is a viable way to bring out-of-school children to school and avoid the cost of building new schools.

6. Promotion of education should be taken as an emergency. Government buildings that are not in use after office hours can also be used as informal schools in the afternoons or evenings.

7. A few large universities and colleges, which are usually empty after noon, can be converted into centres of activities related to early education. Millions of children can gain knowledge if university teachers and students voluntarily take up the responsibility of teaching them.

8. Undergraduate students currently enrolled in university programmes should be encouraged to teach primary school children. Both public and private universities can implement a system whereby undergraduate students who take up teaching school children be offered course credits.

9. Retired civil servants and pensioners may be requested to educate five to ten children every year. If these men and women can be persuaded, millions of small schools can become the best means of providing basic education.

The traditional approach of increasing the number of state-run schools is not on its own a viable solution to the education emergency in Pakistan. We must explore innovative ways to ensure that our children find their way to school. Physical spaces not traditionally considered as ‘schools’, including religious places, government building and universities after hours, could be part of the solution in providing temporary schools.

University students and retired civil servants should be encouraged to teach. Partnerships – with non-profits and local communities – are going to be critical to any model of sustainability we explore. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the nature and scope of the education emergency that confronts Pakistan, but there is hope and there are solutions. It is important to remember that in the last 14 years, Pakistan has witnessed a dramatic expansion in enrollment. We must continue in the same direction with greater resolve, more innovation and stronger partnerships.

The writer is founder of Akhuwat, the interest free microfinance programme, and Akhuwat University. Currently, he is serving as chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme