Political elite influences on education in Pakistan's least developed province: An elite theory analysis

Wazir Ali
Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia, and Education Department, Government of Pakistan
Abdul Rahman, Ravik Karsidi
Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Niamatullah Baloch
Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Pakistan and Changshu Institute of Technology, China

Education is a transformative force with the potential to reshape socio-political structures, promote equity, and drive social progress. However, in Pakistan, elite capture presents a significant challenge to the education system, spreading disparities and restricting access to quality education by marginalised communities. Therefore, our qualitative study aims to explore the pervasive influence of political elites in shaping school education in Balochistan, Pakistan, utilising elite theory to analyse how their dominance aggravates socio-economic inequalities and weakens educational equity. The findings reveal that elite politics has a pervasive influence on education, leading to widespread illiteracy, inadequate infrastructure, high student absenteeism, poor academic performance, and insufficient teacher training. Further, the study found that feudal hierarchy challenges meritocracy and promotes nepotism, corruption, and unequal resource distribution. Our findings suggest a comprehensive, bottom-up policy framework that prioritises active local community engagement, ensures transparent and equitable resource allocation, fosters continuous professional development for teachers, and implements rigorous monitoring mechanisms to eliminate patronage and favouritism. Furthermore, promoting strategic public-private partnerships is essential to reduce the excessive influence of political elites and develop a more inclusive and equitable education system in Balochistan.
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Authors: Mr Wazir Ali is a doctoral researcher in Educational Science, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia. He is a subject specialist teacher in the Education Department, Government of Pakistan. His research interests centre on educational research, policy, and practice, focusing on educational policy, pedagogy, leadership, assessment, teacher development, primary education, and addressing education challenges in Pakistan. He aims to contribute to improving the country's educational landscape. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7198-0066 Email: wazirjamali504@student.uns.ac.id Dr Abdul Rahman is a lecturer in Sociology and Anthropology at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta. He attained his PhD in Social Science Education and Masters in Sociology from Florida State University, USA. He has made substantial academic contributions and is a consultant for the USAID HEPI Project in Indonesia, collaborating with Arizona State University to promote educational initiatives. Email: abdul.rahman@staff.uns.ac.id Dr Ravik Karsidi is a Professor of Sociology at Sebelas Maret University in Solo, Indonesia, and an expert in community empowerment and education policy analysis. His PhD in Development Extension Science and Masters in Rural Sociology Development Studies were awarded by Bogor Agricultural Institute, Indonesia (now IPB University, Indonesia). He also holds a Bachelor degree in Education Science from Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia. Email: ravik@staff.uns.ac.id Niamatullah Baloch is currently an assistant professor and Chairperson of the Department of Educational Research and Development, Faculty of Education, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan, Pakistan. In the Talented Young Scientist Program (TYSP) she is a research assistant professor at Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu, Souzhou, Jiangsu, China. Email: niamat.edu@luawms.edu.pk Please cite as: Ali, W., Rahman, A., Karsidi, R. & Baloch, N. (2025). Political elite influences on education in Pakistan's least developed province: An elite theory analysis. Issues in Educational Research, 35(1), 20-41. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/ali.pdf