Critical Analysis of Education Policies in Pakistan: A Sustainable Development Perspective

Abstract

This article explores, from a sustainable development perspective, the vision and priority areas which have been focused on in all the major educational policy documents of Pakistan from1947 to 2017. Firstly, the study presents some results from a literature review of the links between education and development. We analyse different Pakistan national education policy documents from 1947 to 2017, and discuss thepost-2009 scenarios (after the 2010, 18^th Constitutional Amendment[i], education became the responsibility of provinces). Secondly, the study focuses on the results of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–14) in Pakistan. If education for sustainable development means allowing every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary to shape their own sustainable future, it also means including key sustainable development issues (climate change, energy, food security, biodiversity, peace, tolerance, etc.) into the teaching and learning methods to change behaviours. Education for Sustainable Development could be a key driver for Higher education.

[i]18^th Constitutional amendment bill passed by National Assembly in April 2010