Urdu vs English | What Schools Are Doing Wrong? | Fixing Urdu Literacy in Pakistan

Only 50% of Grade 5 rural students in Pakistan can read a basic Urdu story, while more than half can read an English sentence. What went wrong — and what will fix it?

In this episode of Ed Dialogue, host Tehreem Batool sits down with Hina Batool, an Urdu literacy expert with 22+ years of experience training teachers across Pakistan. Together, they unpack the real barriers behind weak Urdu foundations, unrealistic SNC objectives, the role of mother tongue, digital-era Roman Urdu, and what teachers in real classrooms actually face.

This is a grounded, honest conversation about identity, pedagogy, policy, and practice — and what it’ll take for Pakistani children to read confidently in their national language.

In this episode we cover:

Why Urdu foundations are weaker than English in early grades

Challenges Urdu teachers face (training, language background, tools)

A practical “starter kit” for Urdu teachers

Whether the SNC Urdu objectives are realistic

Mother tongue vs Urdu: What research and classrooms tell us

How to support children whose first language isn’t Urdu

Roman Urdu: threat or bridge?

Brutally honest rapid-fire with Hina Batool

What must be added or removed from the curriculum

A final actionable tip for parents & teachers

Perfect for teachers, school leaders, policymakers, and anyone worried about literacy in Pakistan.

00:00 – Urdu Literacy Crisis: The Real Picture
01:45 – Why Children Struggle With Urdu in Early Grades
03:01 – Challenges Urdu Teachers Face in Real Classrooms
09:30 – A Practical Starter Kit for Urdu Teachers
11:50 – Mother Tongue vs Urdu: What Research Actually Says
22:30 – Is Urdu treated like a ‘second-class subject’ in our schools compared to English and Math?
23:59 –What’s the biggest lie we tell ourselves about Urdu literacy in Pakistan?
25:22 – k policy-makers setting Urdu curriculum objectives even understand the ground realities of classrooms?
30:53 – Fixing the Urdu Curriculum: What to Add and What to Throw Out
32:22 – A Practical Tip for Parents & Teachers

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