How technology is restructuring access and quality in Pakistan’s schools

By Usman Hanif PakUpTech | October 2025

Pakistan’s education system is beginning a serious digital transformation — not just by building schools, but by rethinking how children learn, where they learn, and who they become through that education. In 2025, several major initiatives are converging around smart classrooms, AI tools, and broader government reforms that aim to make education more inclusive, modern, and resilient.

One of the most visible shifts comes in the mountainous districts of Kashmir. UNESCO recently launched 40 smart classrooms in girls’ primary schools across Bagh, Muzaffarabad, and Neelam Valley. UNESCO These classrooms bring together digital learning resources, interactive tools, and teacher-training in ICT to support nearly 3,000 young girls — a very concrete step toward closing gender and terrain-based education gaps. UNESCO

This isn’t only about geography, but scale. In Punjab, the provincial government is pushing forward a sweeping digital education reform. SAMAA TV+1 As reported by Samaa, the plan includes smart classroom rollouts, AI-based learning interventions, and an overhaul of rural and underserved schools with better infrastructure. SAMAA TV Under this agenda, programs like Digital Safar — which promise internet safety, coding education, and data literacy — have received renewed attention, especially as part of public-private partnerships with tech firms. Profit by Pakistan Today

Google for Education is also on board. In early 2025, Google and its local technology partner Tech Valley struck a deal to bring AI-powered digital tools — including “Digital IDs” for students — into 200,000 primary and secondary schools across Punjab. Profit by Pakistan Today These Digital IDs give students access to customized learning content such as coding tutorials, interactive lessons, and safer online environments, raising the bar for what “classroom” can mean.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Federal Education is rethinking not just hardware, but curriculum and skills. According to its strategic plan, there is a clear focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and advanced technology like AI in schools. moe.gov.pk This includes setting up IT labs in degree colleges and revising assessment models to move away from rote learning.

There's also a strong push to give non-formal education a digital boost. The State Minister for Education, Wajiha Qamar, recently emphasized that linking education to skills (especially for dropouts) can bring tens of thousands of children back into the learning system. Dawn Her vision includes mobile learning platforms, apps, and community-based digital education units to support second-chance learners.

Still, the challenges are real. A special report from The News calls out a “poly-crisis” in education: climate shocks (like flooding), inequitable access, and deeply entrenched systemic inequality. The News International During natural disasters, many children lose not just their homes but their classrooms, especially in rural regions. When schools shut down, technology alone often isn’t enough — resilience strategies are needed.

The implications are broad and significant. If implemented well, the smart-classroom drive can increase girls’ education rates, reduce dropout, and build a tech-literate generation. But success depends on more than devices: teachers need training, internet connectivity has to be consistent, and the curriculum must evolve to make meaningful use of digital tools.

The real question now: can Pakistan scale these digital classrooms and AI-enabled learning models across its public system while protecting its most vulnerable learners — the poor, remote, and disaster-affected? If it can pull this off, the nation may not just digitize education, but democratize opportunity.