WITH curriculum reform again under discussion at the federal and provincial levels, Pakistan has a rare opportunity to move beyond technical exercises focused on rewriting standards. For reform to be meaningful, it must translate into tangible improvements in students’ daily learning. Yet classrooms tell a different story.

In a typical public school day, teachers are seen flipping through lesson plans, overwhelmed by crowded classrooms and long lists of definitions, diagrams and exercises. This leaves little room for experimentation, discussion, or curiosity-driven inquiry. Rote learning dominates and academic effort is geared toward exam survival, reflecting a stark disconnect between curricular intentions and classroom realities.

A major issue is curriculum overload. Textbooks across grades are dense, with multiple subjects competing for limited instructional time. Teachers are assessed not on depth of understanding but on syllabus completion before examinations. Marginalized learners—girls, children with disabilities, rural and poor students and those learning in non-native languages—are most affected, often falling behind or dropping out. Streamlining the curriculum by prioritizing depth over breadth and focusing on foundational literacy, numeracy, reasoning and problem-solving is essential.

Inquiry-based learning also struggles within this system. Board examinations reward recall, encouraging memorization of model answers. Lecture-based instruction limits questioning and reasoning, while large class sizes further restrict interaction. As a result, curiosity and problem-solving—critical 21st-century skills—remain underdeveloped. Reform requires alignment: assessments must reward inquiry, textbooks must model it and teachers must receive continuous, practical professional development. Coaching, peer networks and classroom tools are needed beyond one-off workshops.

A recent textbook study highlights another barrier: exclusion embedded in curricula. Reviewing 636 chapters across Urdu and English textbooks, only 13 percent featured female characters compared to 41 percent male. Women were 16 percent of credited authors, while men were 84 percent. Religious minorities appeared in just 3 percent of chapters and learners with disabilities in less than 1 percent. Visual content shows similar disparities, with female images under 18 percent and male figures over 37 percent. Overall, inclusion of minorities and differently-abled learners remains negligible, reflecting systemic inequity.

Qualitative findings reinforce this. Urdu textbooks remain traditional and heavily religious in framing, with female characters often symbolic or relational. English textbooks at higher levels show relatively stronger representation of girls in active social and professional roles. History and Pakistan Studies reflect the greatest imbalance, focusing heavily on male figures and rarely representing women or minorities. Only a few exceptions, such as Punjab’s Grade 10 history textbook on women in the Pakistan Movement and Balochistan’s Grade 10 Pakistan Studies textbook on minority contributions, offer replicable inclusion models. Disability remains least visible across subjects.

These patterns have serious implications. When textbooks fail to reflect societal diversity, children struggle to see themselves as capable contributors. Gender equity is not only enrollment but representation of girls and women as leaders and problem-solvers. Religious minorities and differently-abled learners must also be visible to foster inclusion and belonging.

Beyond inclusion, reform must expand skills: literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, creativity, digital literacy, civic engagement and life skills. Some English textbooks already integrate civic participation and life skills, offering a roadmap. Curricula must prepare students not only for exams but for real social, economic and civic challenges. Ultimately, reform must reach classrooms by reducing curriculum overload, strengthening inquiry-based learning, improving teacher support and embedding inclusive representation in textbooks and assessments. Only then can Pakistan ensure equitable learning and enable all children to thrive and contribute to society.

—The writer is Executive Director of the Society for Access to Quality Education (SAQE), the National Coordinator for Pakistan Coalition for Education and a Malala Fund Education.

© Pakistan Observer