Lahore: More than 25 million children in Pakistan have remained out of school for decades due to chronic underfunding, weak governance, fragmented education systems, and uneven provincial capacity, according to a comprehensive policy review prepared by the Civil Services Academy (CSA).

The report states that despite more than two years having passed since the federal government declared a National Education Emergency, efforts to bring over 25 million out-of-school children into classrooms have yet to produce the desired results because of deep-rooted structural challenges.

According to the study, the problem is not the absence of education policies but the failure to implement them effectively. While all provinces have developed ambitious education roadmaps under the National Education Action Plan (NEAP) 2026, translating those plans into practical outcomes remains the country’s biggest challenge.

A Long-Standing National Crisis

The report describes Pakistan’s education crisis as a decades-old issue rather than a recent phenomenon.

Drawing on data from the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), it notes that historical trends show poverty, rapid population growth, weak governance, and consistently low investment in education have worsened the situation year after year.

From the 1990s through the 2010s, the responsibility for monitoring out-of-school children rested with the Academy of Educational Planning and Management (AEPAM). Throughout that period, millions of children remained outside the formal education system because public education infrastructure failed to keep pace with population growth.

As a result, low-cost private schools expanded significantly to fill gaps left by the public sector.

Nationwide Policy Assessment

Prepared by five Policy Analysis Groups at the Pakistan Administrative Service Campus, the report evaluates education policies in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The assessment measures provincial policies on the basis of effectiveness, efficiency, equity, ethics, and practical implementation.

According to the report, Pakistan currently has between 25.1 million and 26 million out-of-school children, making it one of the countries with the world’s second-largest burden of educational deprivation despite the constitutional guarantee of free and compulsory education under Article 25-A.

National Education Emergency

The report acknowledges that the declaration of a National Education Emergency on May 8, 2024, brought unprecedented political attention to the issue.

However, it argues that each province faces unique structural challenges, meaning a single nationwide strategy is unlikely to achieve meaningful progress without addressing regional differences.

Province-Specific Challenges

The review identifies distinct obstacles across Pakistan:

• Punjab faces the country’s largest number of out-of-school children.
• Sindh struggles with declining retention after primary education and the impact of climate-related disasters.
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is affected by security concerns, difficult terrain, and a shortage of female teachers.
• Balochistan continues to face institutional weaknesses, vast geographical distances, and a large number of non-functional schools.
• Federal territories, despite relatively higher enrollment rates, still experience significant internal inequalities.

Punjab Bears the Largest Burden

The report identifies Punjab as carrying the country’s heaviest education burden, with an estimated 9.6 million to 10.4 million children out of school.

According to the Punjab School Education Department’s 2026 baseline report, around 6.4 million children have never enrolled in school, while another 3.16 million students dropped out before completing their education.

The findings indicate that Pakistan’s education challenge extends beyond enrolling children in schools. Retaining students and ensuring they complete their education remains an equally critical issue.

The report concludes that without sustained investment, stronger governance, improved coordination between federal and provincial authorities, and effective implementation of education policies, Pakistan will continue to struggle in meeting its constitutional commitment to provide free and compulsory education to every child.