International Influences on Policy-Making in Pakistan
Key Words:Education Policy, Education Sector Reforms (ESR), Education for All (EFA), UNESCO, Madrassah Education, World Bank, Stakeholder Participation.
Since independence, successive governments in Pakistan have been endeavouring to bring improvement in the education system of the country. The education policies have undergone many phases: nationalization, privatization, Education Sector Reforms (ESR) and, last but not the least, Education for All (EFA). During the last decade, political and economic pressures, especially those from external sources, have impacted the nature and extent of the education interventions extensively in Pakistan. Policies, such as EFA and ESR, are directed by the international organizations targeted to bring about radical changes and adoption of neo-liberal approaches in the education sector in Pakistan. However, the participation of the major stakeholders has been minimal.
This paper attempts to explore the major dimensions in the existing education policy in Pakistan. In the backdrop of the recent policies, this paper discusses ideological, historical and political aspects, with special reference to internal and external factors influencing the policy-making process in the country.