Pakistan, home to a population of 242.8 million in 2024, has made little progress in addressing one of the country’s most urgent issues: education. Despite three major political parties — Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — having been in power multiple times over the years, the nation continues to struggle with alarming rates of illiteracy, an overwhelming number of out-of-school children, and a severe lack of educational facilities across the country.
As of 2024, 71 million children between the ages of 5-16 are of school-going age in Pakistan. Yet, a staggering 25.3 million of these children, or 36 per cent, remain out of school, marking a massive gap in the country’s education system. The gender disparity is particularly concerning — 53pc of out-of-school children are girls, further underscoring deep socio-cultural barriers to education.
The problem is not confined to any single province, although Punjab has the highest number of out-of-school children at 7.83 million, followed by Sindh with 4.69 million, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 2.94 million. Balochistan also faces its own set of challenges, with a significant lack of basic educational facilities and infrastructure.
The reasons behind such staggering figures are multi-dimensional. Socio-cultural and economic factors — such as poverty, early marriage, and cultural norms — act as primary barriers to education, especially for girls and children from marginalised communities. The lack of proper school facilities such as electricity, water, sanitation, and even safe school buildings has led to low attendance and high dropout rates.
A study in 2021-22 found that 39pc of children in the school-going age were out of school, and the situation was exacerbated by extreme floods in 2022, which caused extensive damage to school infrastructure, making the issue of missing facilities even more dire. The reasons for such a grave situation of education are obvious. Across multiple electoral periods, both the PPP, PML-N, and PTI have consistently failed to make education a true national priority.
The PPP, despite holding power multiple times — five separate occasions since 1970 — has been part of the political landscape for decades, yet the party has not succeeded in significantly improving the literacy rate or addressing the urgent education crisis. Even in coalition government with the PML-N in 2024, education remains an underfunded and neglected sector.
The PML-N, which has ruled Pakistan several times since its formation in 1993, also failed to make any lasting impact on education. Nawaz Sharif’s administrations (1990-1993, 1997-1999, and 2013-2018) had the opportunity to address the education gap, yet inadequate budgetary allocations and failure to implement reforms left millions of children outside the classroom. Even the National Education Emergency, declared by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address the crisis of 26 million out-of-school children, failed to yield meaningful outcomes during PML-N’s reign.
The PTI, under Imran Khan, had a four-year tenure from 2018-2022, but similarly, failed to address Pakistan’s educational crisis. Despite its promises for reform, the PTI government did not manage to significantly increase literacy rates or improve education facilities. Khan’s administration was marked by the historic no-confidence vote that removed him from office in April 2022, but even during his tenure, education was not a top priority.
The lack of basic facilities in many Pakistani schools is staggering. In 2021-22, while 70pc of schools had access to electricity, this left a significant portion without light, especially in rural areas. The condition of sanitation is equally concerning: while 79pc of schools had washrooms, a large number still lacked basic sanitation facilities, impacting the health and well-being of children.
Drinking water is another luxury for many students. Only 78pc of schools had access to clean water, and the remaining ones faced dire conditions with contaminated or no water supply at all. Even more alarming is the fact that 79pc of schools lacked boundary walls, leaving students vulnerable to safety risks, especially in conflict-prone areas.
Under Article 25A of Pakistan’s Constitution, the government is bound to provide free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of 5 to 16 years. However, successive governments, despite numerous promises, have failed to prioritise education in their budgets, and substantial funds earmarked for improving educational infrastructure often remain unutilised or mismanaged.
The current National Education Emergency, declared by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in response to the alarming number of out-of-school children, has brought attention to the issue. However, the question remains: will this be another short-term initiative, or will the government make long-term, sustainable investments in Pakistan’s education system?
For Pakistan to tackle its education crisis, the political will to invest in the sector is imperative. Ensuring that the allocated budgetary resources are properly distributed and utilised will be critical to improving infrastructure and providing schools with the basic facilities required for effective learning. Additionally, the involvement of local communities, parents, and teachers will be necessary to overcome socio-cultural barriers to education, particularly for girls.
Addressing the issues of gender disparity and regional inequalities is also vital. While Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remain the focal points of the crisis, Balochistan must not be left behind in terms of both education and infrastructure development.
The failure of Pakistan’s political elite to prioritise education has left millions of children without the basic right to learn. With an estimated 71 million school-age children in Pakistan, the nation’s future hinges on the ability of the current and future governments to allocate resources effectively, improve infrastructure, and ensure that no child is left behind. The time for action is long overdue, and only sustained political will and investment can bridge the education gap that has plagued Pakistan for decades.