The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on Tuesday pressed for stronger school support for children with dyslexia and was briefed that Pakistani universities rankings have improved on the QS World University Rankings 2027 list, with 18 institutions included and two among the world’s top 500.
The 27th meeting was held under the acting chairmanship of Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, MNA, in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) committee room in Islamabad. Members voiced serious concern that lack of identification, institutional backing and remedial help can harm the educational future of children with dyslexia—a learning difficulty that mainly affects reading, writing and related skills.
Dyslexia Act and school support
The committee said that after the Dyslexia Act’s passage, effective implementation in both public and private schools is now essential. It called for academic facilitation suited to individual learning needs, especially in Mathematics, and resolved to raise the issue in Parliament so curriculum, assessment and examination systems can offer relaxation and accommodations. The aim is to ensure these students are not put at a disadvantage when seeking admission to higher education.
Lawmakers directed the Ministry of Federal Education to earmark dedicated budget lines for recruiting, training and capacity-building of remedial therapists, psychologists and specialised teachers. The National Institute of Psychology (NIP), a centre of excellence at Quaid-i-Azam University, told the panel it is working with the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) on a structured remedial system for children with dyslexia in Islamabad schools.
That plan runs in five phases: mobilisation and vetting; screening, assessment and profiling by December 2026; individualised remedial therapy from January 2027 to February 2028; building sustainable support systems from March to May 2028; and evaluation and closeout from May to June 2028. Members were also told about a National Dyslexia Diagnostic Tool with four parts—cognitive and perceptual-motor assessment, language and phonological assessment, a social-emotional checklist, and a child problem checklist—to identify pupils and shape targeted help.
Pakistani universities rankings on the QS list
On higher education, HEC informed the committee that 18 Pakistani universities rankings entries appear in the QS World University Rankings 2027, which the commission described as a sign of growing international recognition. Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, stands at 381 and the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, at 384—both inside the global top 500.
Eleven universities sit among the top 1,000, including PIEAS, the University of the Punjab, LUMS, the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, COMSATS University Islamabad, Government College University Faisalabad, UET Lahore, Aga Khan University and the University of Peshawar. To lift global standing further, HEC has formed a Committee on International University Rankings to study how ranking systems work, spot obstacles and suggest institutional strategies.
Governance, degrees and what the panel asked next
HEC also said it has introduced a fully online, paperless Degree Attestation System to replace the older process and make verification clearer and easier for users. The commission noted that universities still face governance pressures, financial constraints, faculty evaluation issues and shortages of qualified staff, and clarified that new university campuses at tehsil level are not allowed under current policy.
HEC proposed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may place officials at the commission to speed degree attestation coordination. The standing committee recommended that the Ministry of Federal Education link up with a committee formed by the Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives to explore funding options. It also sought detailed answers from the ministry, via a structured questionnaire, on School Management Committees and on buses and other transport for students.
MNAs Anjum Aqeel Khan, Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Zeb Jaffar, Farah Naz Akbar, Syeda Amnah Batool, Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Mussarat Rafique Mahesar, Abdul Aleem Khan, Sabheen Ghoury and Aliya Kamran attended, along with the secretary for federal education, the HEC chairman and other officials.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 3 November 2026: NA education standing committee meets at HEC, Islamabad; presses dyslexia support and receives QS 2027 rankings brief.
- By December 2026: Planned completion of screening, assessment and profiling in the Islamabad dyslexia remedial programme.
- January 2027–February 2028: Planned individualised remedial therapy phase.
- March–May 2028: Planned establishment of sustainable support systems.
- May–June 2028: Planned evaluation and closeout of the Islamabad initiative.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Parliament ki education committee ne schools mein dyslexia wale bachon ke liye madad aur Dyslexia Act ke amal par zor diya hai. Islamabad ke schools ke liye NIP aur FDE mil kar multi-phase plan bana rahe hain jo 2028 tak chalega. HEC ke mutabiq QS 2027 mein 18 Pakistani universities shamil hain, jin mein QAU aur NUST duniya ki top 500 mein hain. Ordinary families ke liye yeh matlab hai ke pehchan aur remedial support behtar hone ka imkaan hai, aur degree attestation online hona kaam asaan bana sakta hai.
