In a major move towards transforming public education through technology, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has launched the Global Virtual School (GVS), an artificial intelligence-powered digital education platform aimed at connecting students in remote and underserved communities with quality learning opportunities. The initiative seeks to address some of the province’s long-standing educational challenges, including shortages of teachers and schools, difficult geographical conditions, security concerns and disruptions caused by natural disasters. By bringing classrooms, teachers, learning materials and assessments to students through digital technology, the programme represents a shift from conventional schooling towards a more flexible and technology-driven model of education.“Digital technology can overcome geographical barriers and connect students in the remotest parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with classrooms, teachers, learning resources and modern educational opportunities.” — Shahab Ali Shah, Chief Secretary, KP. The GVS in Peshawar was officially inaugurated by the education minister, elementary and secondary education, Arshad Ayub Khan, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Education Secretary Mohammad Khalid Khan and other senior officials of the education department in a ceremony. During the ceremony, a detailed explanation of the working of the platform was given, and there was an interactive session with the students from remote areas of the province.
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Officials described the Global Virtual School as the first major public-sector initiative of this kind launched by a government in Pakistan. Development of the project has been carried out in accordance with the latest digital technologies, to increase access to education, especially in the case of children living in regions where traditional schools, teachers and educational institutions are scarce. The education secretary Mohammad Khalid Khan said the step was particularly important for KP as there are different scenarios in the province which could hamper educational activities. These include floods, earthquakes, tough geographical conditions, security-related disturbances and some districts having inadequate educational infrastructure. According to the education officials, have been created with initial students from Grades 6 to 12 through GVS. It merges all of the digital learning tools, including virtual classrooms, live lectures, recorded lectures, digital learning resources, quizzes, student progress assessment, and monitoring, into one system.
Students will be able to access lessons via a digital dashboard and can learn outside of the
classroom. The recorded lessons can also provide an opportunity for students to study topics at their own speed, which may be especially helpful for students who struggle with understanding a topic. The programme also makes use of gamification as well as interactive learning to ensure meaningful learning. Scheduled assessments and progress reports can be carried out to enable students and education authorities to know the areas where students are lacking in their learning. One of the key components in the GVS is its artificial intelligence- based teacher. During the launch ceremony, the officials exhibited the interaction of the AI system with the students and shared with them the academic concepts and answered their queries, followed by post-lunch advice. An AI learning system can give personalised answers to students according to the questions and understanding that they put in, rather than a formal recorded lecture. This might offer supplementary teaching assistance to pupils who are not able to get subject specialists’ support immediately.
The AI teacher can deliver the students with the desired curriculum content in Urdu, English, and Pashto, making it easier for students from other language backgrounds to consume. It will also give lessons in a few foreign languages such as Chinese, German, Korean, and Japanese, which enable students to develop language skills in these languages along with their main language studies.
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Virtual laboratory exercises are another important component of this programme. Effective
teaching in practical subjects is challenging in the absence of an adequately equipped laboratory
in school. Virtual laboratory activities can provide an opportunity for students to acquire
knowledge of scientific concepts virtually and to run simulations of experiments. The use of virtual
laboratories cannot completely replace the actual laboratory experience, but can be used as a
supplement to the laboratory experience for students at schools where there is no actual laboratory
experience or limited laboratories.
The government will implement the programme in a phased manner. In the first stage, 175
schools will be connected to the Global Virtual School. Education officials said the network was
expected to expand to around 500 schools by the end of the month or early the following month.
Participating schools are being provided with the necessary equipment to operate the digital
learning system. The initiative initially focuses on public-sector schools, but officials said
that private educational institutions may also benefit from the platform. The expansion of the
programme could allow thousands of students in remote communities to gain access to educational
content and teaching support without having to travel long distances to better-equipped schools.
The GVS has particular significance for districts where obtaining education on a regular basis is
challenging because of geographic isolation. Students in mountainous and border regions may
have to walk long distances to get to school; and extreme weather, inadequate roads and security
issues could further reduce attendance.
Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah said that the shortage of teachers and schools in difficult areas
remained a major challenge. He explained that digital transformation could help to reach
communities, which were difficult to reach with a traditional education approach. During the
ceremony, the chief secretary interacted with students of South Waziristan and Dir, showcasing
how the virtual system can bridge the gap between government officials and students in remote
areas.
The provincial government has also indicated that the Global Virtual School could eventually be
made available to Pakistanis living abroad. Overseas students could be able to participate and
receive certificates that will be recognized for further study, officials said. If successfully
implemented, such a measure will have a broader effect and will go beyond the geographical
boundaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to officials, offering such educational
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opportunities through a public-sector digital platform could help students from lower- and middleincome families access programmes that are often associated with expensive private institutions.
The launch of the GVS comes as the provincial government continues to address the problem of
children who remain outside the formal education system. Education Minister Arshad Ayub Khan
said that the government has the intention to carry out a detailed survey to identify the number of
out-of-school children in KP province and each district respectively. The findings can help inform
decision-makers on where there is a low level of enrolment and plan specific policies to increase
the number of children attending school.
Despite the growth in enrolments, more work needs to be done to ensure that all children attend
school, the minister added. The government will think about other options such as expanding the
Global Virtual School, he said. He further added that KP would be interested to learn from the
educational programmes that are implemented in the other provinces and that it will be ready to
provide support to other governments that are eager to learn or adopt the GVS model.
AI in the public school is a potential game-changer in education, but numerous factors can facilitate
its successful integration. Reliable internet connectivity, electricity, digital devices, technical
support and teacher training will be essential for the programme to function effectively. There are
also broader questions related to the application of AI in education, like student privacy for data,
the veracity of AI-generated content, ethical use of technology and the requirement for human
engagement in instruction.
Generally, experts stress that AI should be used in addition to, rather than in place of, teachers.
Teachers remain important for mentoring students, as well as knowing their emotional and social
needs, classroom management, and human guidance that technology cannot replicate. Thus, the
GVS would be best suited in combination with the teacher’s guidance and the existing assessment
system, and when using AI and digital tools for students’ learning progress regularly.
The launch of the Global Virtual School marks an important development in Pakistan’s growing
adoption of digital education. In particular, for the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it is of great
importance because technology is being used to address real-life challenges associated with
distance, shortage of teachers, inaccessibility of schools, and the disruption of the conventional
education system.
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If the project is successfully expanded and supported by good infrastructure, teacher up-skilling
and governance, it could be replicated in other parts of Pakistan that are not served by technology.
The broader goal is not just simply putting lessons online; it’s about developing an education
system where location is not a determinant of education quality. The Global Virtual School could
play a pivotal role in KP’s mission to reach more children with quality education throughout the
province by bringing remote schools into digital classrooms, AI-powered learning, virtual labs,
and multilingual classrooms.
Written By Ms. Samina Mustafa
