A Critical Review of Basic Education Governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Post-18th Constitutional Amendment: A Change Management Perspective

Abstract

This review critically analyzes the basic education governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2010 to 2025 through the theoretical lens of Change Management. Based on 9 peer-reviewed articles, government audits, donor reports, and policy documents, the study examines how Khyber Pakhtunkhwa transitioned from centralized control to provincial autonomy. A key "change dilemma" emerges where thorough legislative initiatives such as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “Free Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Act 2017” and the” Education Monitoring Authority” (EMA) confronted institutional resistance. Findings indicate that while Deliverology-driven strategies (top-down accountability system) improved measureable metrics such as teacher attendance and infrastructure monitoring, the human dimension of change was frequently overlooked, constructing recurring policy reversals, including the regularization of ad-hoc teachers following the 2024-2025 protests and persistent struggles to implement the Teacher Induction Policy 2017. The review concludes that sustainable governance requires replacing disciplinary accountability with a supportive professionalization model, institutionalizing change management skills within the bureaucracy to ensure reform continuity across political regimes.