The state of education in Pakistan is marked by significant disparities, with many schools lacking basic facilities such as toilets, clean drinking water, and boundary walls. A report released by the Pakistan Institute of Education provides a comprehensive overview of the current situation, revealing troubling gaps in infrastructure and resources across different regions of the country.

These deficiencies not only impact the quality of education but also contribute to the high number of out-of-school children, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the education sector.

A recent evaluation by the Pakistan Institute of Education, operating under the aegis of the education ministry, has laid bare a grim reality within the nation’s educational framework. The report highlights stark inequalities in access to fundamental amenities—such as sanitation facilities, clean drinking water, and protective boundary walls—across various regions of the country. The Pakistan Education Statistics 2021-22 cast a spotlight on the chronic underfunding, suboptimal student-teacher ratios, and the pervasive absence of basic infrastructure, all contributing to the alarming figure of 26 million children being out of school. This extensive report surveyed 313,418 educational institutions, which collectively serve 54,870,964 students, supported by a workforce of 2,139,631 educators.

In its findings, the report underscores the urgent need for meticulous planning and enduring investments in key sectors, particularly education, to foster a resilient and equitable society.

According to the data, regions such as Punjab, the Islamabad Capital Territory, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have shown comparatively better outcomes in terms of educational facilities.

An alarming number of schools across Pakistan are deficient in essential services like toilets and clean drinking water. Balochistan’s education sector is particularly beleaguered, with the report indicating that a mere 23% of primary schools in the province have access to safe drinking water. In contrast, Azad Jammu Kashmir reports 31% of its primary schools with access to drinking water, Sindh follows with 61%, and Gilgit-Baltistan reports 63%.

The situation in middle schools is similarly dire; only 40% of schools in Balochistan and 52% in AJK have access to potable water. The report further reveals that merely 59% of schools in Sindh, 39% in Balochistan, 31% in AJK, and 61% in GB are enclosed by boundary walls.

The availability of electricity is another area of significant regional variation. While Punjab and ICT have achieved near-universal electrification of primary schools, the statistics are markedly lower in other regions: only 15% in Balochistan, 21% in AJK, 38% in Sindh, and 44% in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Sanitation facilities are also woefully inadequate. Only 33% of primary schools in Balochistan, 42% in AJK, and 57% in Sindh are equipped with toilet facilities. Nationwide, 24% of primary schools lack toilets, with 10% of middle schools and 3% of high schools similarly deprived of this basic necessity.

In Punjab, the infrastructure of educational facilities is relatively robust, with 99% of primary schools and all middle and high schools equipped with toilets. However, the situation in Sindh is concerning, where 43% of primary schools lack this essential facility, along with 25% of middle schools and 7% of high schools. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presents a better scenario, with 93% of primary schools, 97% of middle schools, and 99% of high schools providing toilet facilities for students.

Balochistan, on the other hand, faces a dire situation. A staggering 77% of primary schools, 31% of middle schools, and 4% of high schools do not have toilets available for students. In Azad Kashmir, 58% of primary schools, 34% of middle schools, and 23% of high schools lack this basic amenity. In Gilgit-Baltistan, 28% of primary schools and 10% of middle schools are without toilet facilities.

The school education system in Pakistan encompasses 227,506 institutions, serving 42,576,130 students and employing 1,625,747 teachers. Across all educational levels, there are a total of 313,418 schools—both public and private—including 2,088 in the “other public” category.

The report sheds light on the teacher-student ratio in primary schools, which stands at 1:39, indicating that there is one teacher for every 39 students. Additionally, the pupil-school ratio across the country is approximately 162 students per school. The overall survival rate to Grade V in Pakistan is reported to be 77%.

Key assessments, such as the Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study (TIMSS) and the National Achievement Test (NAT) conducted by the National Assessment Wing, have emphasized the critical need to enhance learning outcomes among students. The report also notes that in 2021-22, education spending in Pakistan remained at a meager 1.7% of GDP.

The number of out-of-school children in Pakistan is alarmingly high, with 26.21 million children—equating to 39% of the country’s child population—not attending school. The report details that 11.73 million of these children are in Punjab, 7.63 million in Sindh, 3.63 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3.13 million in Balochistan, and 0.08 million in Islamabad. However, the percentage of out-of-school children has decreased from 44% in 2016-17 to 39% in 2021-22.

The findings of the Pakistan Education Statistics 2021-22 underscore the urgent need for strategic investments and comprehensive reforms in the education sector. With large portions of the student population lacking access to essential facilities and a significant number of children still out of school, the future of Pakistan’s educational landscape hangs in the balance. Addressing these disparities is crucial for fostering an inclusive and resilient society, where every child has the opportunity to receive a quality education.