Digital Equity and Human Development: Rethinking Educational Access in Remote Regions of Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The world is undergoing a profound transformation shaped by technological advances, climate pressures, and vast economic inequalities. This shift has affected all aspects of life, from medicine and IT to personal matters such as the well-being of habitats. Global institutions have warned that education systems are not yet prepared to cope with these challenges. UNESCO’s 2021 report, Reimagining Our Futures Together, highlights that a “new social contract for education” is essential if societies are to equip young people with the technical skills and values required to survive in this technologically disruptive century. This vision has become of high priority as technological inequalities continue to hinder learning opportunities. In this fast-moving world, investments in human capital are emerging as the strongest foundation for the state's economic well-being. In September 2015, the United Nations introduced the world to the 2030 Agenda, comprising 17 goals and 169 related targets, known as the “Sustainable Development Goals”. The UN members have committed to working together to address social issues, such as hunger, deprivation, and poverty, to improve people's well-being (UNESCO, 2017). In my opinion, an individual's well-being depends on the level and quality of their education. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to receive even a primary education due to limited resources.
Pakistan powerfully demonstrates these global inequalities. The concept of educational quality is broad, and no single definition can capture its underlying meaning given its complexity. Specific terms such as equity, efficiency, effectiveness, and quality are often used interchangeably (Adams, 1993). Considering the quality of education, three policy documents, i.e., the National Education Policy (NEP) 1992, NEP 1998-2010, and NEP 2009, are committed to providing quality education to the Pakistani residents. Primarily, the 2009 NEP stressed not only education but also its quality to enable children and youth to contribute to societal development. Unfortunately, Pakistan is on the list of E9 countries where a massive number of children withdraw from school. In 2023, UNICEF reported that 22.8 million children aged 5 to 16 in Pakistan were out of school, representing 44% of the school-age population. Those attending schools have distressingly low learning outcomes.
NEAS (2007-08) and ASER (2015) reveal severe deficiencies in students' learning outcomes. At the primary level, about 44 percent of children have inadequate proficiency in reading and writing. The World Bank’s Pakistan Human Capital Review (2023) revealed that three out of four young people are unable to read and understand a simple text. Although many national initiatives are underway to address these problems, the most critical educational challenges remain at the district level. Poor infrastructure and social conditions impede children’s access to quality education, which they might otherwise receive in urban areas without these challenges. UNESCO’s 2023 data exhibited that 250 million children and young people are unenrolled from school globally. This essay highlights the underlying problems faced by the Hazara community in KPK.
Underprivileged areas in District Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, clearly demonstrate these local differences. Public schools in remote regions of Mansehra exhibit lower learning outcomes and poorer infrastructure than private schools, resulting in higher dropout rates and lower progression rates (Rafique, 2019). Mansehra city has relatively better schools and facilities; however, the nearby tehsils of Phulra, Darband Chandor, Oghi, and Balakot face long-standing challenges. These areas are mountainous, remote, and rugged, making access to modern amenities difficult. Many schools lack adequate staff; as a result, they teach various subjects to different grades without fully understanding them. Teachers rarely receive continuous professional development and still depend on orthodox strategies, such as memorization, rather than on critical thinking or inquiry-based learning. Research from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa further affirms that poor instructional quality is a universal issue. A large-scale study with 506 teachers and head teachers found that primary education in KP continues to rely heavily on rote memorization, with limited emphasis on conceptual understanding or critical thinking (Rehman & Khan, 2020). Respondents also reported that many teachers lack the necessary qualifications to adapt the modern teaching approaches in the classrooms. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce teacher training programs across rural districts. Access to technology is also restricted, with unreliable electricity in parts of Phulra and Oghi, Balakot, have limited internet connectivity in several rural areas. As a result, students have few opportunities to build digital literacy for a modern economy. The 2005 earthquake's ongoing effects, which destroyed hundreds of schools, have intensified inequality in these communities.
Another neglected mountainous area of Mansehra, namely Chandor, lacks a girls’ school, severely limiting educational access for girls. They often have to either attend boys’ schools, discouraged by social humiliation and safety worries, or travel long distances outside their community, which many families find unmanageable. Even though families receive financial support, such as the Benazir Income Support Programme, these schemes have not considerably increased women’s independence or their role in educational decision-making, because cultural norms and male dominance over resources remain central (Siddique, 2018). Girls’ education is particularly affected by distance, safety concerns, and cultural constraints. As a result, many girls leave school early. Even though women in rural areas of Mansehra contribute equally to agricultural, livestock, and forest work, they remain mainly excluded from decision-making, including decisions about their children’s education (Khattak & Hussain, 2008). Their condition aligns with the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2023, which highlights that gender gaps and geographical isolation are key barriers to achieving equitable education, particularly in rural and disadvantaged areas. These home-grown challenges are consistent with empirical evidence from Mansehra, where distance and rocky mountainous landscape have been identified as the strongest predictors of low female literacy (Luqman et al., 2015).
Despite these challenges, Mansehra holds significant potential for economic growth. The young population in underrepresented areas of Mansehra has potential, high motivation, and is increasingly aware of the transformative power of education. A promising path forward is to envision a learning ecosystem” customised for the specific conditions of rural Mansehra. This system would be built on three interconnected pillars. The first focuses on enhancing teacher training. As noted in the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2023, technology should serve as a supplement to face-to-face instruction, supporting- rather than replacing- teachers' roles. In remote areas with limited professional development opportunities, establishing a teacher learning center in Mansehra city could enable educators from Phulra, Oghi, Balakot, and Darband to access well-designed training on current practice-based methods. This reflects broader national trends: Ali et al. (2022) found that, due to a lack of funds for teacher training, Pakistan’s teacher education system is predominantly theoretical, lacking practical workshops, leaving many teachers unprepared to adopt modern teaching methods, such as task-based learning and the integration of technology into lessons. In rural areas, teachers still use traditional methods, leading to memorization without conceptual understanding. These systemic gaps limit the effectiveness of curriculum revisions, particularly in rural districts in Mansehra. This hub might utilize blended learning methods, including affordable virtual reality tools. It would help them understand how the new generation should be taught in a well-equipped, well-organized classroom with teachers practicing effective teaching strategies. Additionally, regular workshops and peer-learning groups could provide countryside teachers with access to methods that nurture inquiry, collaboration, and productivity among teachers and learners.
The second pillar focuses on access to digital learning through solar-powered resource centres in rural schools. As reported in the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2023, only 40% of primary schools, 50% of lower-secondary schools, and 65% of upper-secondary schools worldwide have sufficient internet access for teaching and learning. This reveals significant global gaps in educational connectivity. These centres would function without any dependency on grid electricity and the internet. They would be using offline servers filled with high-quality educational content. Shared tablets or laptops would enable learners to develop basic digital literacy with interactive materials. Trained teachers at these hubs would integrate these tools into their lessons, combining traditional teaching methods with multimedia resources to ensure that all students participate in class. For many young people, this would be their first exposure to digital learning beyond mobile phones, a necessary step toward developing a skilled generation for the future.
The third pillar is community engagement, which is the most neglected aspect in rural areas. According to the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning's 2022–2029 Medium-Term Strategy, integrating lifelong learning and community inclusion as important principles is essential for 21st-century education systems. Establishing digital learning centres in the evenings would give parents, youth, and local groups access to digital literacy, health information, and skills workshops. These spaces could also be arranged after school, with a focus on technology, environmental issues, or storytelling. This would provide productive activities for youth and enhance the social significance of education. Improved community involvement builds trust, breaks down gender barriers, and promotes support for educational modifications rather than mere implementation.
These measures together create a network where teachers are supported, students access digital resources, and communities become active learning partners. It also aligns with the global agenda on developing human capital. The Open Dialogue on the “Future of the World” emphasizes that sustainable global economic growth depends on spending on people, especially in areas with limited quality educational opportunities. By implementing these strategies, Pakistan can enhance the capacity of rural populations, thereby contributing to both national progress and global economic stability.
In conclusion, transforming education in Mansehra’s underprivileged areas is more than a local issue. It is a strategic investment in human capital with broader implications for global development. When teachers are trained and skilled, when students engage in meaningful learning, and when communities participate actively in education, societies become more innovative, stable, and productive. As the world seeks new opportunities for inclusive economic growth, districts such as remote regions in Mansehra, KPK, demonstrate that the roots of global progress often lie at the local level. By investing in equitable and forward-looking education, Pakistan and the international community can help build a more sustainable and prosperous future for everyone.
