By Azam Tariq

China’s education reforms provide a practical roadmap for strengthening Pakistan’s education system by prioritising strong foundations, sustained investment and gradual technology integration instead of relying on isolated digital solutions. With about 280 million students enrolled in nearly 440,000 schools, China has built what it describes as the world’s largest high-quality education system—one that aims to expand scale, broaden access and improve quality at the same time.

China’s preschool enrolment has reached 92.9%, exceeding the OECD average of 84.7%. Senior high school admission stands at 92% and higher education enrolment now exceeds 60%. In 2025, China increased education spending by 3.2% to 4.34 trillion yuan.

It also introduced one year of free preschool education benefiting around 14 million children, raised compulsory-stage special-needs subsidies from 6,000 yuan to 7,000 yuan per student annually, and planned a further 5% increase in central education outlays to 192.5 billion yuan for 2026. Speaking with Wealth Pakistan, Abdul Bari, Head Master of Government Higher School Thor, said Pakistan needs to treat education reform as a core development priority rather than a collection of scattered initiatives.

He said China’s experience shows that durable improvement comes from predictable financing, careful planning and equal focus on access and quality. According to him, expanding early childhood education is critical, as strong foundations at the preschool level determine the effectiveness of later reforms. Bari said Pakistan also needs to adopt inclusive models that support minority communities, children with disabilities and other vulnerable groups so that quality education is not limited to better-served areas.

He noted that China’s increase in special-needs subsidies highlights the importance of targeted public spending to support inclusion. He stressed that reducing the number of out-of-school children should remain a priority, calling for practical admission, targeted re-enrolment efforts and expand school capacity. Bari said teacher preparation remains at the core of any meaningful reform.

He noted that no curriculum, laboratory or digital tool can deliver results unless teachers are properly trained, supported and equipped to implement change inside the classroom. He pointed out that China’s focus on building a high-calibre teaching workforce, along with improving teachers’ pay and professional development, shows why reform must remain anchored in classroom practitioners. On technology, he advised that Pakistan should avoid jumping directly to AI-led reforms.

Instead, he suggested a phased approach in which schools are first equipped with basic facilities such as proper seating, laboratories and learning materials before introducing digital and AI-supported tools. Vreesha Khan, Head of Education at the Network of Organizations Working with Persons with Disabilities, said Pakistan must strengthen the basic structure of its education system before introducing advanced technologies in isolation.

She said millions of children remain out of school, while many enrolled students come from low-income and resource-constrained households, making it essential for policies to reflect actual classroom conditions. Khan said technology should be used strategically to support foundational improvements rather than act as a substitute for them. She noted that digital tools can help strengthen teacher capacity through learning management systems, lesson planning support and peer learning platforms.

She added that science labs, interactive content and educational applications can improve conceptual understanding by enabling students to observe, experiment and solve problems instead of relying on rote learning. She emphasised that inclusion must remain central to reform, noting that systems often overlook overaged out-of-school children and children with disabilities. She said learning tools should follow the principle of Universal Design for Learning to ensure accessibility for all students.

On artificial intelligence, she said AI can support lesson planning, translation, personalised learning pathways and student assessment. However, she warned that introducing AI without adequate infrastructure, trained teachers and digital readiness could widen existing inequalities. China is also aligning its education system with economic and social development by expanding academic programmes and disciplines linked to future industries.

From 2021 to 2025, the country added more than 8,600 undergraduate programme sites and over 4,500 master’s degree-granting institutions, strengthening the link between education, technology and workforce development. Experts said Pakistan can draw a clear lesson from China’s experience: stronger financing, early-age education, inclusion, teacher development and basic infrastructure must come first, while advanced technologies should be introduced only when schools are ready to use them effectively.

Credit: INP-WealthPk