An official report sheds light on the performance of Pakistan’s education system, categorizing it under the ‘low’ performance category. The District Education Performance Index (DEPIx) Report 2020-23, released by the Planning Commission, provides a comprehensive overview of educational outcomes across the nation, with specific insights into provincial and district-level performance. The report underscores significant disparities in education quality and highlights critical areas requiring urgent attention.

The report revealed that Pakistan’s national average score in the DEPIx is 53.46, placing it in the “low” performance category. Among the five domains assessed, infrastructure and access achieved the highest score of 58.95, reflecting some progress in expanding educational opportunities. The inclusion domain, which covers equity and technology, ranked second.

The report noted that public financing received the lowest score, underscoring the need for increased and more strategically directed spending in education. The learning domain also scored poorly, highlighting ongoing issues with low learning outcomes among students. “Governance and management, while somewhat better than learning, still fall into the ‘low’ category, primarily due to teacher shortages and high bureaucratic turnover,” the report stated.

None of the 134 districts examined achieved a ‘very high’ performance rating, with only Islamabad reaching the ‘high’ performance category.

The report acknowledged that while the country has achieved middle-income status and made significant progress in developing its human capital over the past decades, this progress has been slower compared to other developing countries and regional peers.

The slow development of human capital presents challenges for realizing the potential demographic dividend and for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, as well as achieving upper-middle-income status by 2047.

Providing quality and inclusive education is identified as a critical factor in human capital development. Since the devolution of education policy, administrative, and fiscal authority to the provinces in 2010, and the incorporation of the right to free education into Article 25-A of the Constitution, provincial governments have enacted compulsory education laws, increased budgetary allocations, and implemented various reforms.

Although education data reforms have improved data availability, the complexity and fragmentation of the data have often hindered effective use in policymaking.

To address these challenges and support the education emergency declared by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in May, the Planning Commission has integrated various school education indicators into composite scorecards.

The DEPIx report evaluates five domains: infrastructure and access, learning, inclusion (equity and technology), governance and management, and public financing, covering 134 districts across Pakistan, including Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, Sindh, and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

In addition to the national overview, the report provides a detailed provincial breakdown. It reveals that Punjab is the top-performing province with a composite score of 61.39, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with a score of 54.88. Sindh and Balochistan, however, are lagging behind, with scores of 51.49 and 45.70, respectively.

At the district level, the report indicates that none of the 134 districts achieved a “very high” performance rating, and only Islamabad is classified in the “High” category, making it the highest-performing district.

Alarmingly, more than half of Pakistan’s districts—76 in total—are in the “Low” performance category. These low-performing districts are primarily concentrated in Balochistan and Sindh, with 33 districts in Balochistan and 22 in Sindh. Notably, all districts in Balochistan fall into the “Low” performance category, highlighting severe challenges throughout the province.

Excluding the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the top 10 districts are all from Punjab and KP—seven from Punjab and two from KP. No districts from Sindh or Balochistan are among the top 10.

In terms of intra-provincial disparities, the report notes significant variation within provinces. KP exhibits the greatest intra-provincial differences, with districts such as Haripur, Chitral, and Abbottabad performing well, while Kolai Palas, Upper Kohistan, and Lower Kohistan are among the lowest performers. There is nearly a 30-point gap between the highest and lowest-scoring districts in KP. Punjab and Balochistan show the least intra-provincial variation, with most districts in Punjab falling into the medium category and all districts in Balochistan in the low category. Sindh exhibits moderate variation, with most districts in the “low” category, except for the urban districts of Karachi and Hyderabad.

The report emphasizes that while Punjab leads with the highest provincial performance score, significant challenges remain in Sindh and Balochistan. The stark contrast in district-level performance, with none reaching the ‘very high’ category and a majority falling into the ‘low’ category, particularly in Balochistan, points to the urgent need for targeted interventions. Addressing these disparities and improving educational outcomes will be crucial for Pakistan to meet its development goals and enhance human capital effectively.

The DEPIx Report 2020-23 paints a concerning picture of Pakistan’s education system, revealing deep-rooted challenges that require immediate and sustained attention. By prioritizing quality and inclusive education, the country can enhance its human capital development and work towards achieving its long-term economic and social goals. The findings serve as a call to action for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders to collaborate in transforming the educational landscape for future generations.