KARACHI: Speaking at an online book launch at the 12th Karachi Literature Festival on its last day on Sunday, Amjad Noorani, the lead author of the book, said reforming education was a gradual process and it required political and social advocacy.
The book, ‘Agents of Change’, has been published by the Oxford University Press and is dedicated to the late Abdul Sattar Edhi. During the session, educationists Rahila Fatima Shakil and Dr Anjum Altaf highlighted several issues about Pakistan’s education system, curriculum and medium of education. The talk was moderated by Nadeem Hussain, co-author of the book.
“Agents of Change suggests actions for change in the K-12 education system in Pakistan. It validates how good schooling can alleviate poverty and advance societal development through equitable opportunity for quality education,” said Noorani.
He said analyses in the book were based on research, conversations with professionals in the education sector, interviews with experts and first-hand knowledge of many challenges in the education system.
Commenting on the book, Masood Ahmed, the president of the Center for Global Development, Washington DC, said that in the broader context of education policy and reforms in Pakistan, the book told how much more was needed to be done to provide equitable and quality education to the millions of children still being deprived of it.