Sir: Education is considered a powerful tool for development and the strongest instrument for reducing poverty as well as improving health, gender equality, peace and stability in a country. In other words, education is considered a key to success. The Constitution of Pakistan (1973) professes that the state shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within minimum possible period. Due to the lack of funding and attention, the standard of public schools could not be improved effectively. Continuously falling standards and quality as well as the shortage of public schools has created a huge gap. In order to fill this gap, the government has set up elite English medium institutions, army administered Cadet Colleges and Christian convent schools all over the country to serve a special class of the population. The National Education Policy 2009 encouraged the privatisation of educational institutions. The government also supported the involvement of businessmen in the education system in order to improve the literacy rate and quality of education. However, the private sector created a class system in the field of education. An easy access and equity are essential factors for the promotion of quality education, literacy rate and economic growth. In fact, the elite English medium schools and colleges did not fill gaps that were created by the public sector. Rather, these schools promoted inequality and a sense of marginalisation in today’s society. This shows that the education system of Pakistan is divided according to the socio-economic status of the people. The unequal distribution of wealth in the country gives less chance to the people from poor families to get private education because the cost is too high. That is why education is not functional. The division between the rich and the poor (private and public) is so great that it contradicts the concept of the welfare state promised by the first Governor General of Pakistan. This distinction and inequality create a sense of frustration among children, which leads to anti-social activities. The government should take steps to improve the education system. Progress can only be guaranteed if equal opportunities and facilities are offered to everyone in the education sector. SARWAT GHOURI Karachi