Colonial legacies and contemporary marginalities: Christian education in Pakistan’s religious landscape

This study examines the enduring impact of colonial legacies on the contemporary experiences of Christian minorities within Pakistan’s educational landscape. Focusing on Christian educational institutions and the lived experiences of Christian communities, the article explores how religion, social exclusion, and historical and contemporary power relations embedded within educational, social, and institutional structures continue to shape educational opportunities and identity formation in Pakistan. While Christian schools have historically contributed to literacy, social mobility, and educational development in the country, Christian communities themselves often remain positioned at the margins of social, cultural, and political life. The study investigates how Christian applicants perceive discrimination, belonging, and educational inequality within broader religious and societal structures. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected from 150 Christian applicants in Lahore and Bahawalpur through semi-structured interviews and focused discussions. Thematic analysis was employed to identify recurring patterns related to educational access, religious identity, institutional exclusion, and everyday experiences of marginalisation. The findings reveal that many participants experience subtle and overt forms of discrimination linked to religion, class, and inherited colonial hierarchies. Participants also highlighted limited opportunities for upward mobility despite the historical reputation of Christian educational institutions in Pakistan. At the same time, Christian education emerged as a space of resilience, identity preservation, and community support. The study concludes that educational inequality affecting Christian minorities cannot be understood separately from broader questions of religious marginality, postcolonial power relations, and structural exclusion in Pakistan.