The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousaf Raza Gilani declared 2011 as the country’s year of education. As I excitedly delved in to look for the plans of implementation, I was disappointed; I could not find any practical agenda or details on how the government plans to execute this declaration other than lip service. This is probably one of those rosy yet vague promises that the government hopes to bank on during the next election campaign. The political soap opera will continue and so will the false promises, but we cannot afford to ignore the dilapidated state of our education system any longer. ‘Ad hocism’ has become an inherent part of our culture. As a nation, we are constantly looking for quick fix solutions. Education is not at all one of them; rather education is the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. The more we invest in terms of capital and effort in developing our educational infrastructure, the brighter the future will be for our nation. It is impossible to reverse time and rectify all our previous mistakes, but coming together and realising that there is a way to end our mediocrity is of paramount importance. The state of education in Pakistan is on a ventilator and is being slowly poisoned to death. The longer we wait to act, the harder it will become to achieve any sort of goals. Someone needs to call upon the people responsible for it, and draw their attention to the disastrous condition. Someone needs to hold them from their shoulders and shake them until they realise their duty, their responsibility, but unfortunately, people in general seem indifferent. The major issues stopping us from doing so are that we, the people of Pakistan, have become numb to the importance of education. No one wants to get his or her hands dirty, not even the ones who have benefited from education at any point in time. They will sit in a corner, complain and offer their critique of the current state of affairs. Some are afraid of attempting to disturb the status quo; some possess enough motivation but are unable to act due to a variety of reasons, and then there are also some who would take to flight rather than fight in this situation. Limited resources and prioritisation oppose each other but the fine line of balance can always be found if the will is there. From amongst the above, the ones who have the desire to improve the state of affairs but are unsure as to how, comprise the group who are our hope to help treat our stricken education system. We now have a common platform from where we can assert ourselves with collective force. We can turn our motivation into action and save our education system. The road is paved with Article 25a inserted in the Constitution as part of the 18th Amendment that reads: “The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law.” Use this article as a magic spell; the more people you tell about it, the stronger it becomes. It will enchant whoever comes across it and in no time you will have a force, compelling our government to rejuvenate our education system. The ‘IlmPossible Campaign’ is one such awareness campaign that aims to spread the magic spell that promises free of cost education available to every citizen. It aims to make them aware of their right and imbue them with the courage to demand it. This campaign, unlike other education campaigns, is not run by any one organisation but by a host of active citizens spread out in different parts of the country. Hence, it has become a movement not in fear of fading out with just spreading awareness. The ‘ilmBassadors’ have started off on a mission to bring about a soft, rigorous and speedy revolution to help education heal soon and make ilm (knowledge) possible. The time is not far when every household will have an ilmBassador, and education in Pakistan will be healthy once again. Change is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it is something that is only achieved after a concerted effort from all parties involved. We must make every effort to be harbingers of change, and to eliminate deficiencies we have experienced from the lives of our future generations. I wish education a speedy recovery and am hopeful to see a Pakistan with universal education sooner than soon. To conclude, a quote from the great Chinese social philosopher, Confucius, should suffice, “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” The writer is one of the steering committee members of ilmPossible and works as an Organisational Development Consultant for Insolito Associates