'Out-of-school kids may exceed 30m next year'

Punjab finalises new admissions policy, school calendar and exam schedule

RAWALPINDI:

The Department of Education has granted final approval for the revised admissions policy for the 2026 academic year, together with the new school calendar and the schedule for annual examinations. It has also sanctioned the replacement of 29 textbooks for Classes 6 to 10.

The newly proposed syllabus has been endorsed with only minor amendments, and the updated textbooks are set to go to print in December.

The Department has confirmed that the new academic year will commence on April 1, 2026, while free textbooks for newly enrolled pupils in government schools will be distributed from April 5.

Annual examinations for Classes 1 to 7 will run from March 10 to 22, with results announced on March 31. The Class 8 annual examination will take the form of a board assessment, beginning on February 3. The Matric examinations will start on March 3, 2026, followed by the Intermediate board examinations from May 5.

Under the revised admissions policy, each school will be permitted to admit only 10 per cent of new pupils relative to its existing roll. In the 2025 session, the number of out-of-school children in Punjab stood at 28 million, a figure expected to exceed 30 million in 2026. This year has also witnessed a record rise in dropouts from government schools. Following the privatisation of 14,000 government schools, a substantial proportion of previously enrolled boys and girls have left formal education.

In a notable development, the owners of 1,400 privatised schools have returned them to the government, citing severely diminished enrolment—particularly among girls. These schools have now been re-added to the list of 4,500 institutions slated for sale in December.

Malik Naseem, President of the All Pakistan Private Schools Association, remarked that worsening poverty and prevailing education policies are driving a continual rise in the number of street children.

Consequently, increasing numbers of underage boys and girls are abandoning their studies and taking up work in workshops, hotels, and mechanics' shops.