What Works to Teach Reading: From Global Evidence to Local Action in Pakistan

What Works to Teach Reading: From Global Evidence to Local Action in Pakistan

Tuesday, 13 January 2026 – Islamabad, Pakistan

The Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) convened a national policy dialogue in Islamabad in partnership with the Pakistan Institute of Education and the Government of Pakistan, alongside the World Bank, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UNICEF, the British Council, and the Center for Global Development, to examine how global evidence on effective reading instruction can inform education policy and practice in Pakistan.

The event marked the first in-person country launch of the GEEAP-endorsed report Effective Reading Instruction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What the Evidence Shows, following earlier global and regional engagements. It brought together senior government officials, provincial education leaders, researchers, practitioners, and development partners to reflect on how evidence-based approaches to reading instruction can be adapted to Pakistan’s diverse linguistic and institutional contexts.

Discussions focused on the relevance of the report’s pedagogical framework for Pakistan’s education system, including current classroom practices, curriculum and assessment reforms, and the role of language in early reading development. Speakers and panelists explored how evidence-based reading instruction can be embedded within existing federal and provincial initiatives, while addressing practical considerations related to teacher support, implementation, and system alignment.