Education crisis

As the world gets set to observe the International Day of Education on January 24, Pakistan has little to celebrate. The country's public spending on education currently stands at 1.91 per cent of its GDP, the lowest in the South Asian region. This figure is significantly below the global average of 3.8 per cent and falls well short of the Unesco-recommended benchmark of 4 per cent. Education is a fundamental human right, and the eradication of illiteracy alongside the provision of free education up to the secondary level are among the foremost commitments enshrined in the constitution. Yet, according to a 2022 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5 to 16 years in Pakistan are not attending school.

This represents the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children, accounting for approximately 44 per cent of the total school-age population in the country. Alarmingly, an updated report from August 2024 by the Pak Alliance for Math and Science (PAMS) places this figure even higher, at 25.3 million. These statistics highlight the ongoing challenges in Pakistan's education sector, underscoring the need for increased investment and reforms to address the high number of out-of-school children and improve educational outcomes.

Hussain Ahmad Siddiqui

Islamabad