On the one hand, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has recently taken a visionary step by making Artificial Intelligence (AI) a mandatory course for all degree programmes starting this year. On the other hand, we remain a nation where over 25 million children are still out of school, the second-highest figure in the world. While integrating AI into higher education is a necessity for the 21st-century job market, we must ask: are we building a skyscraper on a crumbling foundation? According to recent reports, thousands of primary schools across the country lack basic electricity and internet connectivity.
Without addressing these foundational learning gaps, a mandatory AI course risks becoming a mere formality that further widens the divide between elite institutions and the struggling public sector. To truly benefit from this digital revolution, the government must ensure that ‘education emergency’ declarations result in more than just headlines. We need a dual-track approach: equipping our graduates with high-tech skills while simultaneously investing in the primary infrastructure required to bring over 25 million children into the classroom.
Amara Amir Gondal
Islamabad
