Islamabad : Inclusivity is not an add-on to Pakistan’s education reform agenda; it is its foundation, emphasised federal education secretary Nadeem Mahbub.
"Our [ministry’s] vision extends well beyond bricks and mortar. Inclusive education, he emphasised, is the first and most essential step in a longer journey, from inclusive classrooms to an inclusive workforce and ultimately, to a more equitable and cohesive society," the secretary said during a field visit to the National Special Education Centre for Visually Handicapped Children and the Physical Handicapped Centre, both operating under the Directorate General of Special Education, here.
The visit was part of the ministry’s efforts to ensure that reform translates from policy into physical reality, into classrooms, corridors and learning environments designed around the needs of every student.
Secretary Mehbub said learners with differentiated abilities were not at the margins of the reform agenda; instead, they were at its heart.
He said inclusivity was the defining principle of the education transformation currently underway at the ministry, and it must be felt in every institution, every classroom and every learning interaction across the country.
At NSEC-VHC, the secretary expressed satisfaction over the pace of ongoing renovation while stressing the need to go further, developing need-based, modern facilities that also cater to students with hearing differences and creating learning environments built not just for today but for the future.
He directed the management to ensure the standard of every upgrade reflect the Ministry’s commitment to dignity and belonging for all learners.
At PHC, Mehbub emphasised that every design decision must centre the student: renovations must be genuinely accessible, digitally enabled and oriented toward meaningful participation rather than mere physical accommodation.
He directed authorities to expedite the completion of all work without compromise on quality, making clear that the well-being and dignity of every learner with differentiated abilities must remain non-negotiable throughout.
The DGSE director (Academics), heads of departments and the project focal person briefed the secretary on the scope, timelines and current status of the ongoing interventions.
Mehbub held detailed discussions with officials and emphasised that institutional performance and construction quality must reflect the same high standards the ministry expects of itself.
He said the ministry’s reforms recognised that when a learner with differentiated abilities is given an accessible, well-equipped and supportive environment, the gains reach far beyond the individual.
He added that an inclusive classroom produces an inclusive graduate, one who enters a workforce and a society better prepared to value, accommodate and benefit from human diversity in all its forms.
"It's our active and unwavering commitment to the journey from inclusive classrooms to an inclusive society," he said.
