For the rugged, breathtaking region of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), known for its soaring peaks and resilient people, the story of education is both inspiring and troubling — a landscape of progress scattered with deep inequalities. Despite its rich cultural heritage and strategic significance, the region has long been neglected in the national conversation, especially when it comes to its most vital sector: education.

Across GB’s seven districts, a striking contrast unfolds. In Hunza and Ghizer, the literacy rate soars to over 70 per cent — among the highest in Pakistan. Modern classrooms, active community involvement, and high-performing schools, run by the Aga Khan Education Services, paint a picture of hope. But just a few valleys away, in districts like Diamer and Astore, the numbers plummet — literacy hovers below 40 per cent, and many children never see the inside of a functioning school. Around 90,000 children across the region remain out of school, nearly a third of the school-age population.

With a population of approximately 1.8 million, GB’s overall literacy rate stands at around 58 per cent. Gender disparity remains stark — 71 per cent of men are literate, compared to just 45 per cent of women. School enrollment is uneven, and the gender parity index worsens at the secondary level, where girls face the highest dropout rates. Much of this is linked to poor infrastructure: nearly 40 per cent of schools lack functioning toilets, many don’t have clean drinking water, and classroom furniture is either broken or non-existent. In winter, when temperatures plummet in valleys like Skardu and Ghanche, schools often become inaccessible or simply too cold to attend due to the lack of a heating system.

Teachers, too, are in short supply. One or two educators often teach multiple grades, especially in girls’ schools, where science and mathematics specialists are rare. Schools lack laboratories and computer rooms, and electricity is unreliable in many remote areas. Solar panels, though introduced in some schools, often fall into disrepair due to lack of maintenance funding.

Despite these hardships, GB’s education sector has not been entirely without support. Over the past two decades, major donors like UNICEF, the World Bank, and the Aga Khan Foundation have supplemented local efforts with targeted programs, including school reconstruction, early childhood education, and girls’ scholarship schemes. Most recently, digital classrooms and solar-powered schools have been introduced in a limited number of areas under government and donor-backed pilots.

The political landscape of GB has shifted multiple times in the last 20 years, beginning with the Pakistan People’s Party’s rule after the 2009 Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order, which granted the region its first elected assembly. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz took over in 2015, focusing on infrastructure and aligning its projects with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Since 2020, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has led the region, though internal rifts and leadership disqualifications have hampered long-term policy continuity.

Through these political cycles, budget allocations for education have increased gradually — from Rs. 1-2 billion in the mid-2000s to over Rs. 11.5 billion in 2024–25. Yet, challenges in utilisation persist. Funds are often delayed by the federal government, development priorities skew toward urban centres like Gilgit and Skardu, and local administrative capacity remains weak. Education consistently receives around 18-20 per cent of the GB budget, but maintenance budgets remain negligible, and higher secondary and vocational training continue to be underfunded.

While new teaching posts, digital learning pilots, and female-focused scholarship programs signal progress, systemic gaps are far from closed. What remains clear is that Gilgit-Baltistan’s students — perched between promise and neglect — deserve more than partial fixes. In a region where mountains meet the sky, the path to equal, quality education remains steep — but not insurmountable, if political will, fiscal commitment, and community engagement align.

For now, Gilgit-Baltistan remains a tale of two educational realities — one of inspiring resilience, and another of unmet potential.