Experts believe that weak administration, political interference and inadequate budgets worsen the situation
LAHORE:
Despite Punjab being considered the educational hub of Pakistan, millions of children in the province are still out of school. Government and international reports show that poverty, inflation, shortage of teachers, lack of basic facilities and financial difficulties for parents have become major barriers to education in the province.
According to official education statistics, thousands of public schools are functioning across Punjab with millions of students enrolled, but nearly 9.6 to 9.7 million children remain out of school, the highest figure in Pakistan. Reports by UNICEF and the Pakistan Institute of Education say that more than 25 million children nationwide are out of school, with Punjab accounting for the largest share.
Former provincial education minister Imran Masood believed that rural poverty and inflation are forcing many parents to send their children to work instead of school. “Many families struggle to meet daily food and household expenses on their own, making education costs unaffordable. Girls are particularly affected as they often drop out of school due to domestic responsibilities, early marriages and social restrictions,” noted Masood.
“There are mainly two categories of out-of-school children in Punjab. The first includes students who study up to primary or intermediate level and then drop out, while the second includes children who do not go to school at all. Many parents lack awareness of the importance of education and prefer their children to contribute financially to the household income. In several rural areas, schools are located far away and some children have access to education and later access to transportation becomes impossible.” Masood noted.
Reports further reveal that thousands of schools in Punjab are operating with only one teacher managing the entire institution. Many schools also lack basic facilities such as electricity, clean drinking water, furniture, toilets and computer labs. In some cases, school buildings are in a dangerous condition and pose safety risks to children.
Parents say the quality of teaching in public schools remains poor, preventing students from receiving proper learning opportunities. In urban areas, private school fees are too high for poor and middle-class families, while many rural communities still lack nearby schools.
Imran Masood added that poverty alone is not responsible for the growing crisis. “Weak administration, teacher absenteeism, political interference, poor monitoring and inadequate education budgets are worsening the situation,” Masood said. Experts warn that unless children receive quality education, safe learning environments and modern facilities, the crisis could intensify further.
Education expert Rana Liaqat explained that attendance in schools is monitored through the School Information System, but the current digital system has also contributed to lower attendance records. “According to the system, entry has to be uploaded online within a fixed time limit after which no entries can be made,” said Liaqat.
According to attendance data collected from 37 districts in Punjab, more than 9.6 million students are registered up to class 10. However, attendance figures as of 21 April showed that only about 370,000 students were marked as present, while hundreds of thousands were absent and millions had not registered any attendance at all. The highest number of missing students was reported in Lahore and Khanewal.
The provincial government says it has launched enrollment campaigns, teacher recruitment, digital monitoring systems and public-private partnerships to get children back to school. Officials claim millions of children have been re-enrolled and teacher training is improving.
However, education experts say these steps are not enough. They are calling for more schools in rural areas, scholarships for poor families, reduced teacher shortages, better infrastructure and awareness campaigns about the importance of education, while stressing strict action against child labour.
Experts warn that without urgent and sustained reforms, the growing number of out-of-school children could lead to serious economic, social and security challenges for Punjab and Pakistan.
