Over 26m children out-of-school in Pakistan, reveals PIE report

The country is confronting a crisis of out-of-school children, with numbers soaring from 22.02 to 26.21 million, reported the 24NewsHD TV channel.

The Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) on Monday released a comprehensive analysis report prepared by the Pakistan Institute of Education in collaboration with UNESCO based on the 2021 and 2022 data.

 It has made staggering revelations regarding the number of out-of-school children (OOSC) in Pakistan.

Pakistan comes in after Nigeria and India where the number of OOSC is the highest in the world.

According to the report’s findings, Punjab tops the list with 10.11 million children lacking access to education, followed by Sindh with seven million, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with 3.6 million, and Balochistan with 3.1 million.

Additionally, the federal capital, Islamabad, has 80,000 children who are not attending school.

It stated that the latest findings were a preliminary teaser, highlighting the critical state of education accessibility in the country.

As of 2021-22, there are a concerning 26.2 million out-of-school children across Pakistan, it added.

The report highlights that 39% of these children are not attending school for various reasons, with Balochistan having the highest percentage of 65% of OSC. Though Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has a comparatively better educational standard, 30% of children are not attending school in the province.

Analysing the data, at the intermediate level, 60% of students are still deprived of education, while at the matriculation, middle, and primary levels, 44%, 30%, and 36% of children, respectively, are not attending school.

Disturbingly, 39% of children in the school-going age group are currently out of school, indicating a persistent challenge in ensuring universal education.

Balochistan stands out with the highest percentage, where a staggering 65% of children are out of school, while ICT reports the lowest percentage. In comparison among the major provinces, KP fares better with 30% out-of-school rate.

Despite a decrease in the percentage of out-of-school children from 44% in 2016-17 to 39% in 2021-22, the absolute has surged from 22.02 million to 26.21 million during the same period.

This increase is primarily attributed to the population growth rate outpacing the decrease in out-of-school children.

 At the higher secondary level, a disconcerting 60% of children are out of school in 2021-22. Further analysis reveals 44%, 30%, and 36% out-of-school rates at high, middle, and primary levels respectively.

A substantial portion of the out-of-school children, totaling 10.77 million, is at the primary level, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted interventions.

Economic disparities play a significant role in educational access, with children from the poorest quintile facing the highest disadvantage, evident across all education levels.

Reporter: Rozina Ali