ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan faces an uphill task to ensure that every child – especially the least advantaged – not only goes to school but continues to learn, as a startling revelation on Thursday showed that 26 million children across the country are out of school.
The disclosure was made in a report titled “Girls Education Statistics and Trends Report 2023-24 (GESTR)” which was released by Minister for Education and Professional Training Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in the federal capital.
The report, prepared in collaboration with the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), Malala Fund, Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education (PAGE) and the Ministry of Education, reveals that 25.37 million children aged 5 to 16 are out of school – including 13.41 million girls and 11.96 million boys.
Overall, the report states that 26.2 million children are currently deprived of education.
According to UNICEF, Pakistan has the world’s second highest number of out-of-school children.
GESTR says Punjab tops the list with 9.6 million out-of-school children, including 4.83 million girls and 4.77 million boys. It also has the highest number of out-of-school girls.
Sindh follows with 7.82 million out-of-school children, including 4.09 million girls. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 4.92 million children are out of school, including 2.29 million girls, while Balochistan accounts for 2.94 million, including 1.53 million girls. In Islamabad, 90,000 children are out of school, including 40,000 girls.
The report paints a stark picture of dropouts across education levels. While 20.815 million children enroll in primary school, the figure drops to 9.207 million in middle school, 4.699 million in matriculation and 2.825 million in intermediate school. At university level, only 718,000 students enroll in programmes.
Gender data shows that 10.906 million boys and 9.888 million girls enroll at primary level. At intermediate level, 4.877 million boys and 4.33 million girls continue their education. At matric level, the figure drops to 2.545 million boys and 2.154 million girls. At the tertiary level, 1.476 million boys and 1.349 million girls are enrolled.
However, at the university level, women’s enrollment exceeds that of men, with 428,000 women compared to 290,000 men, indicating a gradual improvement in women’s access to higher education.
The report highlights infrastructure improvements, noting that 96% of schools have permanent buildings, 92% have toilets and 82% provide clean drinking water. The primary completion rate for girls has increased from 75% to 89%. But challenges such as malnutrition, which affects children’s height and weight, persist.
It also points out that the number of schools per 1,000 children has fallen due to rapid population growth. Only 23% of schools have ramps for people with disabilities, and even fewer provide special teaching materials or aids. Only 19% of schools have digital devices, while only 23% of teachers in girls’ institutions have received basic training.
Alarmingly, the share of the education budget has fallen from 13% to 11%, with 94% of funds spent on salaries, leaving little room for development expenditure. Although women are approaching parity in higher education, their labor force participation remains at only 24%.
