Pakistan Has No School Ranking System, Govt Confirms

Nadeem Tanoli

Islamabad: Pakistan currently lacks a federal-level system to rank schools and colleges, the government confirmed in Parliament on Friday, even as nationwide curriculum reforms move forward.

Federal Minister for Education Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told lawmakers in the National Assembly that a comprehensive education performance index for institutions has not yet been developed.

“No school or college rankings currently exist under any federal framework,” he said, acknowledging persistent concerns over accountability, teacher performance, and oversight across the country’s education system.

Currently, the only functional performance metric is the District Education Performance Index (DEPIx), initially developed by the Ministry of Planning and now overseen by the Pakistan Institute of Education.

DEPIx evaluates districts on student outcomes, school facilities, and attendance, providing guidance for provincial and federal policy. However, it does not rank individual schools, leaving institutional performance unmeasured.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/pakistan-falls-to-168th-on-human-development-index/

Dr. Siddiqui said the next DEPIx report is expected within two months but confirmed that no federal index currently assesses schools or colleges based on performance, teacher quality, or resource standards. The revelation sparked debate among lawmakers and education experts, many of whom argue that a transparent ranking system is essential for driving reform, improving classroom outcomes, and identifying struggling institutions.

In parallel, the Minister updated Parliament on ongoing Curriculum Reforms 2025, aimed at modernizing Pakistan’s education standards and aligning them with international benchmarks.

The National Curriculum Framework is under revision, with completion targeted for November 2025. The reforms focus on digital learning tools, STEM education, ICT integration, and skills-based learning, already piloted in Federal Educational Institutions.

At the higher education level, the Higher Education Commission has made ICT courses mandatory, expanded STEM integration across disciplines, and is revising university curricula through National Curriculum Review Committees and an Outcome-Based Education framework.

Despite these initiatives, lawmakers raised concerns over the slow pace of curriculum modernization, citing outdated learning materials and limited teacher capacity as ongoing obstacles to student achievement.

The disclosures underscore significant gaps in Pakistan’s education governance, highlighting the need for stronger institutional performance metrics alongside ambitious curriculum reforms.