Pakistan grapples with 26m out-of-school children crisis

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has witnessed an alarming rise in out-of-school children with the figure soaring to over 26 million, the Pakistan Education Statistics Report 2021-22 stated.

The Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) released a comprehensive analysis report that made staggering revelations regarding the number of out-of-school children (OOSC).

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.

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. Detailed insights into economic disparities and additional statistics will be unveiled during a comprehensive release scheduled for Monday at PIE Islamabad.