Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the education sector has seen a gradual shift towards online learning, a trend that continues to this day. As the first quarter of the 21st century draws to a close, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping and transforming the global education landscape. However, its adoption still faces challenges in areas of related training and infrastructural needs. On an optimistic note, it provides an opportunity to keep education accessible without interruption during crises, while also helping students prepare for the future.
Once again, monsoon has incurred extensive damage to life, livelihoods, property and infrastructure across the country. From north to south, the rains followed by heavy floods are not a new phenomenon, and once again we have faced devastating floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh. The worst-hit areas include districts such as Buner, Charsadda, Lahore, Jhang, Muzaffargarh and Karachi, where school buildings and the entire educational system are at risk of collapse. This situation also affects students’ mental health and makes learning more difficult for them, impacting their performance and regular attendance at school.
Unfortunately, there hasn’t been enough research on how climate-related disasters like those discussed above impact education, especially teachers and students in the marginalised regions of Pakistan. This ongoing cycle of destruction prompts urgent questions about how Pakistan can maintain continuous access to education during climate disasters.
Addressing the challenges in the education sector is not a new issue. For centuries, the less privileged have had less access to education, resulting in a persistent lack of equality. Over the years, the government has launched initiatives such as the Punjab Education Sector Reform Program (PESRP), Waseela-e-Taleem, KP Insaf Afternoon Schools and, more recently, the URAAN Pakistan Initiative of the federal government, which places education as a national priority, aiming for substantial improvements by 2047. However, these efforts remain inadequate given the overwhelming challenges of rising debt and economic instability that continue to impede progress and development. The 2024–25 federal budget shows some progress, with increased funding for gender equality (Rs97 million) and education (Rs2,666 million). However, the question remains whether the budget is sufficient to meet the growing needs of upgrading the education sector in Pakistan, to explore how technologies can be used for disaster preparedness and whether they can help develop resilient infrastructure.
Innovative solutions, particularly AI, can be leveraged as digital e-learning technologies, offering a pathway to reach marginalised and rural communities that have long been excluded from formal education methods. The responsible use of AI, along with rapid learning, is key to educational advancement. Today, college and university students effectively use AI tools to achieve their academic and educational objectives. Transitioning to intelligent school systems that incorporate AI represents a significant advancement toward creating more resilient educational frameworks. This transition is likely to bridge the gap between education and consistency, while promoting the responsible utilisation of AI technologies to facilitate rapid learning.
Platforms like Ataleek, an EdTech service provider that enables digital learning solutions through online distance learning (ODL) and emergency remote teaching (ERT), can be used effectively as a digital means to advance the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, particularly in achieving the goal of ensuring inclusive and uninterrupted quality education for all.
However, such promise of digital learning remains far from reality in Pakistan, where inadequate digital infrastructure, limited internet access, insufficient teacher training and low levels of digital literacy pose major hurdles in implementing flexible or hybrid education models. On top of these structural gaps, deeply entrenched gender norms further restrict girls’ access to and use of technology, widening the digital divide and reinforcing educational inequality. Nonetheless, addressing and resolving these barriers and challenges is not optional; it is, in fact, imperative to bring about meaningful educational reforms on the ground.
Over 22.8 million children in Pakistan still do not attend school, with adolescent girls from rural and marginalised areas being the most excluded. Nearly 11.4 million adolescents are deprived of formal education, and with an enrolment rate of only 13 per cent, according to Pakistan’s higher education data, significant gaps remain. Exploring issues related to access, quality, and learning opportunities in education goes beyond academics; it’s about instilling disaster readiness, catering not only to students’ awareness but also to creating a resilient educational environment that protects both the physical and psychological well-being of learners. Integrating disaster risk management education into the existing curriculum requires both theoretical lessons and practical exercises.
Storytelling and simulation-based learning, such as 'Madures Ludruk', a storytelling form used in Indonesia, serve as effective pedagogical tools for disaster preparedness education. Ludruk is a folk theater art form performed in the Madurese language in a regional style. This traditional art combines drama, music, and comedy to present social and everyday issues, often through humour and satire, to entertain and educate communities.
The World Bank has approved a $47.9 million grant, financed by the Global Partnership for Education, which can be effectively used to explore new technological solutions in education, such as AI serving as a personal tutor that identifies each student's learning needs and customises instruction accordingly, significantly improving engagement among pre-primary and primary students in Pakistan.
At the same time, the curriculum has become redundant and lacks relevance in today's competitive landscape of science and technology. A great deal of focus should be given to creating students who can cope with the challenges of the contemporary world, along with greater sensitisation regarding the crucial link between climate change and their individual and collective responsibility to achieve nutritional literacy, psychological well-being and the responsible adoption of different technologies, including AI.
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