Najam Warns of ‘Education Apartheid’ in Pakistan’s Schooling Crisis
Adil Najam, inaugural Dean Emeritus and Professor of International Relations at Boston University, has called Pakistan’s fractured education system an “education apartheid,” highlighting the deep inequalities that determine a child’s future based on their ability to afford quality schooling. He was quoted in a new article published by Barrons. In a recent AFP report, Najam pointed to the existence of at least ten different education systems, ranging from elite private schools to underfunded public institutions and religious madrassas, where access to quality education is often dictated by wealth.
With more than 26 million children out of school – one of the highest rates in the world – Pakistan faces an education emergency fueled by poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and cultural barriers. In rural areas like Abdullah Goth, families rely on their children’s labor for survival, only agreeing to send them to school in exchange for food rations. Even those who make it to school often receive low-quality education, leaving them unable to compete with their wealthier peers in the job market.
Najam warns that this systemic inequality is not just an economic issue but a structural failure that limits social mobility. While nonprofit and private initiatives can offer short-term solutions, he stresses that real change can only come through large-scale government intervention. Without urgent reform, he argues, Pakistan’s education system will continue to entrench economic disparity rather than bridge it.