Imagine if two countries with populations comparable to Australia and North Korea suddenly announced that none of their children would receive an education. The thought alone would be alarming. Yet Pakistan is facing a crisis of a similar scale. An estimated 26.2 million children in the country are out of school, representing a massive loss of human potential and a serious obstacle to the country’s social and economic development.
The scale of the problem becomes even clearer when examined province by province. Punjab has around 9.7 million out-of-school children, while Sindh has nearly seven million. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has about 4.9 million children who are not attending school. Balochistan faces an even more difficult situation, with thousands of settlements lacking adequate access to schools and educational facilities. These figures are not merely statistics; they represent millions of children whose opportunities to learn, develop skills and build better futures are being lost.
Pakistan cannot realistically expect sustained economic growth, social stability or prosperity unless it ensures that children enter school, remain there and receive a meaningful education. The issue deserves particular attention on occasions such as International Literacy Day, observed on September 8, when countries around the world reflect on the importance of literacy and education. Pakistan’s literacy rate has improved in recent years and stands at around 63 per cent, but the progress remains slow and highly uneven. The provincial disparity is particularly troubling: Balochistan’s literacy rate is around 49 per cent, compared with approximately 68 per cent in Punjab.
The country urgently needs a long-term and practical roadmap for education. Increasing enrolment must be a priority, but simply bringing children through the school gates is not enough. They must also receive quality teaching and have access to safe classrooms, trained teachers, relevant curricula, textbooks, sanitation and other basic facilities. The government must establish measurable targets and regularly assess whether public investment is actually improving learning outcomes.
There is also a growing challenge that deserves greater attention: the idea, increasingly promoted by some social media influencers, that formal education or earning a degree is a waste of time. Such claims can discourage young people from taking their studies seriously, particularly when they already see limited employment opportunities for educated graduates. Authorities must counter this narrative not merely through slogans but by demonstrating that education can lead to meaningful skills, employment and social mobility.
At the same time, the government must confront the chronic underfunding of education. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey, education expenditure amounted to only around 0.8 per cent of GDP in FY2025. More resources are clearly needed, but money alone will not resolve the crisis. Funding must result in functioning schools, teachers who are present and properly trained, modern and relevant curricula, basic facilities and measurable improvements in what children actually learn.
Security presents another major threat to education, particularly in vulnerable parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Schools have been attacked, damaged or forced to close because of insecurity. Every such incident disrupts children’s education, creates fear among parents and teachers and can permanently push vulnerable children out of school. Girls are particularly at risk because they already face additional social, economic and geographical barriers to accessing education.
The 2014 Army Public School attack in Peshawar remains one of the most painful reminders of the consequences when educational institutions become targets of violence. The lesson should be clear: protecting schools and students must be an integral part of national education policy. Schools in vulnerable areas require appropriate security arrangements, rapid reconstruction when facilities are damaged and contingency plans that allow children to continue learning during periods of conflict or crisis.
Pakistan’s education crisis is not a problem that can be postponed for another generation. Every year that millions of children remain outside the education system increases the country’s social and economic burden. The government, educators, parents, civil society and the private sector must work together to ensure that children are not only enrolled in schools but also protected, taught and given genuine opportunities to succeed.
A country cannot build a prosperous future while leaving millions of its children behind. If Pakistan is serious about economic development, reducing poverty and creating a skilled workforce, education must move from political rhetoric to national priority. The future of millions of children — and ultimately the future of Pakistan itself — depends on it.
Shafaqna Pakistan
pakistan.shafaqna.com
Note: Shafaqna do not endorse the views expressed in the article
