Recent statistics reveal an alarming educational crisis in Pakistan, with a staggering 26 million children out of school and severe deficiencies in essential educational facilities.

The Pakistan Institute of Education’s report for the 2021-22 academic year highlights significant disparities across regions, including inadequate access to potable water, toilets, and electricity. This situation underscores an urgent need for coordinated efforts and strategic investment to ensure that every child in Pakistan receives quality education.

A recent report from the Federal Ministry of Education has unveiled a shocking statistic: approximately 2.62 million children in Pakistan are currently excluded from schooling. According to the findings, Punjab leads with 1.17 million children lacking educational access, followed by Sindh with 763,000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 363,000, and Balochistan with 313,000. Additionally, Islamabad, the federal capital, has 80,000 children not attending school.

The report reveals that 39% of these children are out of school for various reasons, with Balochistan having the highest percentage—65%. In contrast, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, despite its relatively better educational standards, still has 30% of children out of school. The data analysis shows a slight improvement, with the percentage of out-of-school children decreasing from 44% in 2016-2017 to 39% in 2021-2022. Nevertheless, significant gaps remain at different educational levels: 60% of students at the intermediate level are still out of school, while at the matriculation, middle, and primary levels, the figures stand at 44%, 30%, and 36%, respectively.

This revelation underscores the critical state of education in Pakistan, urging authorities to implement proactive measures to address this pressing issue. Despite ambitious pledges by successive governments to enroll out-of-school children, their numbers have risen alarmingly.

In 2021, the federal cabinet was informed by then Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood that 18.7 million children were out of school. However, a recent report from the Pakistan Institute of Education, in collaboration with UNESCO, reveals that this number has surged to 26.2 million, marking a concerning 40% increase since 2021. Pakistan now ranks third globally, after Nigeria and India, for the highest number of out-of-school children. The report further details that Punjab has 10.11 million children without access to education, Sindh has seven million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 3.6 million, and Balochistan has 3.1 million, with Islamabad reporting 80,000.

At the intermediate level, 60% of students remain outside the educational system, while the figures for matriculation, middle, and primary levels are 44%, 30%, and 36%, respectively. Quality education is pivotal for achieving numerous Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It empowers individuals to escape poverty, reduces inequalities, and promotes gender equity. It also fosters tolerance, shapes peaceful societies, and is essential for attaining the SDGs.

SD Goal 4 emphasizes the need for education financing to be a national investment priority. Critical measures include making education free and compulsory, ensuring a skilled and updated teaching workforce, improving basic school infrastructure, and embracing digital transformation. Pakistan faces significant educational challenges, including one of the lowest global rates of girls’ education, with 58% of females uneducated. This situation highlights the urgent need for a paradigm shift in the education sector.

The escalating statistics highlight an urgent need for synchronized efforts to tackle the educational crisis confronting Pakistan’s youth, ensuring that every child has equal access to high-quality education.

The Pakistan Education Statistics 2021-22 report points to a lack of funding, poor pupil-teacher ratios, and missing basic infrastructure as critical issues, alongside the alarming figure of 26 million out-of-school children. This extensive report covers 313,418 educational institutions, serving 54,870,964 students with support from 2,139,631 educators. It underscores an urgent need for strategic planning and sustainable investment in education to foster a resilient and inclusive society.

Regions such as Punjab, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are relatively better equipped in terms of educational facilities. However, the report highlights a troubling lack of essential amenities across Pakistan. In Balochistan, only 23% of primary schools have access to potable water, compared to 31% in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), 61% in Sindh, and 63% in Gilgit-Baltistan. The situation is similarly dire for middle schools, with only 40% of schools in Balochistan and 52% in AJK having access to drinking water.

The report also reveals significant regional discrepancies in the availability of electricity. While Punjab and ICT provide electricity to all primary schools, other provinces lag behind: only 15% of primary schools in Balochistan, 21% in AJK, 38% in Sindh, and 44% in Gilgit-Baltistan have access to power.

Toilet facilities are also scarce. In Balochistan, only 33% of primary schools, 42% in AJK, and 57% in Sindh have toilets. Nationwide, 24% of primary schools lack this basic facility, with 10% of middle schools and 3% of high schools also without toilets. Punjab leads with 99% of primary schools and all middle and high schools having toilet facilities, whereas Sindh and Balochistan face significant shortages.

The school education system encompasses 227,506 institutions, catering to 42,576,130 students and employing 1,625,747 teachers. Overall, Pakistan has 313,418 public and private schools, including 2,088 other public category schools. The teacher-student ratio stands at 1:39 for primary schools, with a pupil-school ratio of approximately 1:162. The survival rate to Grade V is reported at 77%.

Key assessments by the National Assessment Wing, including the Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study (TIMSS) and the National Achievement Test (NAT), reveal an urgent need to enhance learning outcomes. Despite these challenges, education spending in 2021-22 was only 1.7% of GDP.

The number of out-of-school children has risen to 26.21 million, representing 39% of children in Pakistan. The report indicates that 11.73 million out-of-school children are in Punjab, 7.63 million in Sindh, 3.63 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3.13 million in Balochistan, and 80,000 in Islamabad. Although the percentage of out-of-school children decreased from 44% in 2016-17 to 39% in 2021-22, the situation remains critical.

This growing crisis calls for immediate, coordinated efforts and significant reforms to address Pakistan’s educational challenges, ensuring that every child can access the quality education they deserve.

The escalating figures in Pakistan’s education sector demand immediate, synchronized action and comprehensive reforms. The current state of affairs, marked by widespread shortages in basic facilities and a high number of out-of-school children, reflects deep systemic issues. Addressing these challenges requires a renewed commitment to strategic planning and sustainable investment in education, aiming to build a resilient and inclusive system that guarantees equitable access to quality education for all children.