Over 25 Million Children Out of School in Pakistan

(Digital Itla) According to the latest policy report by the Civil Services Academy, more than 25 million children in Pakistan remain out of school due to poor governance and inadequate funding. Despite an educational emergency being declared two years ago, structural and administrative bottlenecks have hindered progress.

Data from the Pakistan Institute of Education reveals that poverty, rapid population growth, and low investment in education have aggravated this decades-old crisis. The report indicates that between 25.1 million and 26 million children are deprived of education, leaving the constitutional promise of free education under Article 25-A unfulfilled.

• Punjab leads the crisis with 9.6 to 10.4 million out-of-school children.

• Sindh is struggling with a post-primary system collapse.

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces geopolitical and geographical hurdles.

• Balochistan suffers from institutional weakness and non-functional schools.