In 2024, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared an “education emergency” in Pakistan — twice. The first announcement came on May 8 at a national conference addressing the alarming number of out-of-school children, and the second one on September 8, the International Literacy Day. Unfortunately, as often happens in Pakistan, these declarations sounded more like political symbolism than a roadmap for real reform.
Recent findings from the HIES 2024-25 expose the gap between promises and performance. Despite minor improvements, nearly 20 million children — around 28% of the school-age population — remain out of school. This alone reflects a crisis that continues to be acknowledged but rarely confronted.
The inequality within this crisis is deeply troubling. Nearly one in three girls is out of school, compared to one in four boys. Regional disparities are equally stark: Balochistan tops the list with 45% exclusion, followed by Sindh with 39% and Punjab with 21%. Even more alarming is that one in five children has never entered a classroom, highlighting a systemic failure rather than a temporary setback.
This bleak reality is worsened by declining public investment. Education spending has fallen below 1% of GDP, an amount grossly insufficient to address a crisis of this magnitude. Without serious financial commitment, reform remains little more than rhetoric.
Moin Ahmed Awan
Kandhkot
