Punjab - home to 110 million people - faces a stark education emergency: 10.96 million school-aged children are currently out of schools, among which, 4 million are at the primary level. Despite a planned Rs673 billion education budget for the coming year, only 10% in effect goes toward development projects, with the remaining reserved for salaries and operational costs. Experts warn that if policymakers fail to act swiftly, this cycle of low literacy and limited opportunities will continue to mar the future of many more generations to come.
A key factor in this educational mess is the unequal distribution of resources. Over 70 million people live in rural Punjab, yet urban centres receive a disproportionately large share of the public funding. Many rural schools lack electricity, sanitation facilities, appropriate classrooms, and libraries. Internet is available in just 31% of rural households, limiting students’ ability to learn modern skills.
Meanwhile, 25% of boys and 20% of girls drop out before reaching the sixth grade, often because of the difficulty in accessing far-off schools or supporting their families earn bread and butter. But our new policy paper by Volunteers Leading Governance - a youth-led organisation engaged in bridging the gap between the government and the governed - suggests a radical five-point strategy that can help address these challenges and improve school enrolment and retention.
Increase funding
Pakistan currently invests just 2% of the GDP in the education sector, falling below the globally recommended 4%. The policy paper urges raising this share, allowing more money for modern facilities, digital tools, and library resources. Annual audits would ensure transparency so that funds are actually directed towards classrooms.
Upgrade infrastructure
With 10.96 million out-of-school children and millions more attending substandard facilities, the policy paper calls for building additional classrooms and providing safe drinking water and electricity. Separate middle and high school facilities in rural areas could stem the high dropout rate. Officials also propose offering reliable internet access so students can learn crucial digital skills.
Address teacher shortages and quality
Punjab’s student-to-teacher ratio can climb above 40:1, far exceeding recommended standards. Although private schools employ 61% of teachers across Punjab, they educate only 46% of the students. To fix this imbalance, the paper suggests hiring more qualified teachers, boosting salaries, and rewarding those who consistently improve student performance. Career development opportunities and licensing can elevate the profession’s status.
Target dropouts and enrolment
Roughly 33% of children participate in Early Childhood Education, leaving a significant gap in formative learning. To reduce poverty-related dropouts, the paper proposes cash stipends that increase each year a child remains in school, plus subsidies for uniforms and textbooks. Transportation solutions - such as bicycles in rural areas - would further remove barriers, particularly during harvest seasons.
Overhaul the curriculum
With 75% learning poverty, students struggle to read and do basic math. Around 80% cannot write a sentence in English, and 60% struggle with Urdu. The policy suggests reducing the focus on rote memorization and focusing instead on critical thinking, while introducing digital literacy and vocational training. Schools would also promote inclusivity, providing mental health resources for an estimated 20 million Pakistanis who need psychiatric help nationwide.
Experts say these reforms require political will, dedicated public spending, and partnerships between government and local communities. But they are not something that is impossible.
India has almost all of the issues Pakistan faces, but its realigned focus on education and emphasis on universal early education is starting to bear fruit. It has moved away from an exam-based model to a competency-based model and has begun integrating technology at the school level to expose children to the skills of the future early on. India is focusing heavily on new and existing infrastructure to keep children facilitated and engaged in learning.
Bangladesh, another developing country, introduced the concept of boat schools to ensure that children have access to schools during the frequent floods that the country faces. Finland’s free meals and teacher training, and Singapore’s pivot away from rote learning are exemplary models that showcase how to approach the concept of education.
The suggestions in the policy paper draw inspiration from many such extraordinary efforts. If fully implemented, the framework could strengthen Punjab’s socioeconomic development by preparing a workforce that is literate as well as skilled and capable of enhancing the aggregate provincial productivity.
There is no doubt that investing in proper education of young minds is the most certain way for Punjab to ensure that its human capital reaches it true potential and can join the world of the future as informed, productive global citizens.
The journey is long and hard, but that is the only one Punjab must choose to ensure its progress. And it must start now.
(The writer is president of a private university and a former provincial minister)