Pakistan’s Education Crisis Requires Urgent Human Capital Strategy: CASS Roundtable

LAHORE The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Lahore, has called for a comprehensive, long-term strategy to address Pakistan’s education crisis, strengthen state capacity and develop the country’s human capital. CASS Lahore organized a roundtable discussion titled “Human Capital at Risk: Education, State Capacity and Pakistan’s Development Challenge” on October 7, 2026. The session brought together academics, intellectuals and domain experts to examine the structural challenges confronting Pakistan’s education system and their implications for national development. Ms Faiza Abid, Research Assistant at CASS Lahore, delivered the opening address and set the context for the discussion. Dr Soufia Anis Siddiqi, Assistant Professor at the LUMS School of Education, highlighted the scale of Pakistan’s education crisis, noting that an estimated 25–26 million children remain out of school. She pointed to Pakistan’s Human Capital Index of 0.41 and education spending of only around 0.8 per cent of GDP, alongside persistent learning deficits. Dr Siddiqi argued that Pakistan’s education challenge extends beyond access and academic outcomes to the very way education is conceptualized. She questioned an overly narrow focus on human capital while emphasizing education’s wider social purpose. She also highlighted the undervaluing of teachers and vocational education, as well as gaps in communication, adaptability and digital skills. She called for a broader and more inclusive vision of education that reflects Pakistan’s demographic realities and evolving social, economic and technological requirements. Dr Fouzia Khan, Chief Executive Advisor, School Education & Literacy Department, Government of Sindh, underscored the importance of effective education governance in building Pakistan’s human capital. She described human capital development as a continuous education pipeline comprising four interconnected stages: entry, stay, progress and learn. Dr Khan stressed the need for effective planning, data-driven decision-making, professional teacher management, adequate resources and meaningful community engagement. She also emphasized that education reforms must be embedded within sustainable government structures and supported by evidence-based implementation and coordinated partnerships. In his concluding remarks, Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Retd), President, CASS Lahore, described education as a fundamental pillar of Pakistan’s human capital, social development and economic future. He noted that meaningful progress requires not only expanding access to education but also improving learning outcomes and strengthening the institutions responsible for delivering quality education. He highlighted persistent inequalities linked to gender, geography and income, stressing the need to connect education with skills development, employment, social protection and emerging technologies. Air Marshal Asim Suleiman identified three key priorities for the way forward: improving educational outcomes, ensuring effective delivery of educational investment, and aligning education with a broader long-term human capital strategy, backed by policy continuity and sustained institutional commitment. The roundtable concluded with an interactive discussion covering teacher training, homeschooling, education quality, funding constraints and structural challenges facing Pakistan’s education sector. Participants appreciated CASS Lahore for convening an engaging and substantive discussion on one of the country’s most critical long-term development challenges.