The 2005 Pakistan earthquake had devastating effects across all sectors, including education. Recent floods have presented additional challenges for the education cluster which has coordinated the response and recovery activities of most education-focused agencies. Key activities of the cluster have included promotion and application of the Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies, chronic crises and early reconstruction; development of Pakistan-specific guidelines for emergency education; and partnering with Pakistan’s Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) to draft designs for primary school reconstruction. Lessons learned include, flexibility and adaptation are required when implementing the Cluster Approach. What works in one emergency might not work so well in another. There is no blueprint for effective cluster use. Support is needed in the identification and development of national cluster leads. National officers are around for the long haul, unlike the majority of international cluster leads who arrive en masse during the emergency phase and whose numbers then gradually decrease.