Why Are 20 Million Pakistani Students Still Out of School?

You wake up, send your kids to school, and start your day. It feels normal, right? But for millions of families across Pakistan, this morning routine is a dream they simply cannot afford.

It is heartbreaking to realize that despite all the promises and political slogans, a staggering 20 million out-of-school children are still wandering the streets or working in workshops instead of sitting in a classroom.

I know, you might be thinking, “Didn’t the numbers improve?”

Why Are 20 Million Out-of-school children in Pakistan

Technically, yes. The latest survey shows a drop from 25 million to 20 million. But let’s be real for a second. Is that really a victory? When nearly three out of every ten children in our country are deprived of basic education, we are not just failing them; we are failing our future.

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The Real Story Behind the Numbers

The official data from the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) tells a story that goes beyond just digits. It reveals a deep divide in our society.

While we see a slight dip in the overall percentage (now at 28%), the disparity between provinces is shocking.

• Punjab: Surprisingly, there is zero improvement here. The rate is stuck at 21%.
• Sindh: A small step forward, moving from 42% to 39%.
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Improved slightly to 28%.
• Balochistan: This is the surprise package. They showed the biggest recovery, dropping from 59% to 45%.

But here is the catch. Even with these “improvements,” rural girls in Sindh and Balochistan are still the most left-behind group. If you are a girl born in a village there, your chances of seeing the inside of a school are terrifyingly low.

Why Are They Not in School?

You might assume it’s just about a lack of schools, but the problem is more personal. It’s about survival.

Parents aren’t villains; they are desperate. The survey highlights that boys are often pulled out to work because the family needs an extra hand to put food on the table. For girls, it’s a mix of financial hardship and deep-rooted family restrictions.

And it’s getting harder.

The Hunger Crisis: A Hidden Enemy of Education

You cannot learn if your stomach is empty.

The same report sheds light on a terrifying rise in food insecurity. In Punjab alone, severe food insecurity has almost doubled. In Balochistan, it’s over 30%.

When a father has to choose between buying a sack of flour or paying for a uniform, guess what he picks?

Inflation is literally eating away our education progress. Low-income households are facing five times the risk of hunger compared to the rich. It is a vicious cycle. Poverty keeps them out of school, and being out of school keeps them in poverty.

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The Digital Disconnect

We talk about a “Digital Pakistan,” but the ground reality is different. Mobile phone usage has actually dropped from 91% to 83%. Computer ownership? It has crashed to just 7%.

How can we expect these out-of-school children to catch up if they don’t even have access to the basic tools of the modern world?

What Needs to Happen?

We need to stop looking at these children as just statistics. They are 20 million missed opportunities. 20 million potential doctors, engineers, and artists who might never get the chance to shine.

Government laptops and small schemes are nice, but they are band-aids on a bullet wound. We need to tackle the root cause: poverty. Until parents are financially stable enough to not need their child’s labor, classrooms will remain empty.

So, I leave you with this thought. If we don’t fix this today, what kind of Pakistan are we building for 2030?

Do you think the current educational policies are enough to bring these children back to school, or is it time for a completely new approach?