Bridging The Gap: Stakeholder Perspectives On Educational Reforms, Geographic Disparities, And Gender Inequities In Post-Conflict Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

This study evaluates the implementation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Improvement Initiative (2015–2022) in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, through stakeholder perspectives on teacher recruitment, infrastructure, curriculum, and monitoring systems. Employing a quantitative descriptive design, data were collected from 285 stakeholders, including District Education Officers, principals, and teachers across four districts. Findings reveal perceived improvements in merit-based teacher recruitment and infrastructure upgrades, particularly in sanitation and laboratory facilities. However, remote areas faced persistent challenges, such as inconsistent access to teacher training, logistical hurdles in textbook distribution, and technical limitations hindering biometric monitoring systems (IMU). Curriculum reforms were critiqued for neglecting local cultural and linguistic contexts, widening rural-urban disparities. Gender and geographic inequities emerged prominently: female stakeholders reported lower satisfaction due to socio-cultural mobility barriers, while infrastructure quality varied significantly between districts (e.g., Bannu outperforming DIKhan). The study underscores the need for decentralized, participatory reforms that prioritize localized adaptations, gender-sensitive strategies (e.g., safe transportation for female teachers), and strengthened administrative coordination to enhance monitoring systems like EMIS. By addressing structural gaps in implementation and fostering community engagement, this research advocates for equitable, context-driven policies to advance sustainable educational development in KP’s post-conflict, resource-constrained settings.

Keywords: Educational Reforms, Stakeholder Perceptions, Geographic Disparities, Gender Inequities