ISLAMABAD – With more than 25 million children out of school, Pakistan’s education crisis renewed calls for better working conditions, stronger professional recognition and sustained investment in teachers, as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO urge policymakers to put educators at the centre of education reforms.
The warning came during a joint ILO–UNESCO dialogue in Islamabad, held to mark World Teachers’ Day 2026 and the 60th anniversary of the landmark international recommendation on teachers’ professional status.
The event brought together government officials, education professionals and representatives of UNESCO, UNICEF and the ILO to discuss the challenges facing Pakistan’s teaching workforce and the measures needed to improve educational outcomes.
Organised in collaboration with the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), the dialogue was held at the ILO Office in Islamabad under the theme “Standing with Pakistan’s Teachers: Decent Work, Professional Status and the Future of Teaching.”
Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajeeha Qamar attended as chief guest, stressing that improvements in education would depend on equipping teachers with the skills, resources and support required to meet changing classroom demands.
Qamar said teachers were central to Pakistan’s efforts to improve learning outcomes, expand access to education and integrate emerging technologies into teaching. She emphasised that strengthening teachers’ professional capabilities was essential to creating an inclusive and equitable education system.
Education reforms face classroom reality check
The discussion highlighted the growing responsibilities of teachers, who must manage overcrowded classrooms, respond to evolving student needs and adapt to technological changes while working to deliver quality education.
Participants stressed that policy announcements alone would not resolve Pakistan’s education challenges unless reforms translated into practical improvements in schools and sustained support for the people responsible for teaching.
Lubna Mahmood, headmistress of Islamabad Model College for Girls G-10/2, called for teachers to have a greater role in shaping education policies and curricula.
Drawing on the experience of Federal Directorate of Education colleges, she said educators’ practical understanding of classroom challenges could help make reforms more responsive to schools and more effective for students.
Farida Afzal, deputy headmistress of Islamabad Model College for Girls G-14/4, highlighted the importance of continuous professional learning, reflecting on her 26 years in the classroom.
She said professional development enabled teachers to adopt new teaching approaches, respond to changing educational requirements and apply updated skills in their daily work.
Three priorities emerge for Pakistan’s education system
Participants identified three key areas requiring attention: greater teacher involvement in policymaking, more direct investment in the teaching workforce and the responsible use of technology in education.
First, teachers must have a stronger voice in education decisions. Participants called for educators to be directly involved in curriculum development and national-level planning so that policies reflect the realities of classrooms rather than remaining disconnected from them.
Second, education funding must reach teachers and classrooms. They stressed the need for sustained investment in the teaching workforce and essential learning resources, particularly in underserved communities where access to quality education remains a challenge.
Third, technology must strengthen rather than undermine teaching. As digitalisation and artificial intelligence reshape learning environments, participants urged policymakers to ensure that new tools support educators and improve teaching standards without widening existing inequalities.
The discussion underscored the connection between teachers’ professional status, their working conditions and the quality of education delivered to students.
Islamabad dialogue also marked 60 years of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, an international framework addressing teachers’ rights and responsibilities, professional preparation, recruitment, employment and teaching conditions. UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day overview outlines the significance of the recommendation and the continuing challenges facing the profession.
The anniversary provided an opportunity to renew attention to the support educators need as education systems adapt to new technologies and changing learning requirements.