The budget drops to 11%, only 19% of schools have digital devices; girls outperform boys in NAT 2023
A ceremony was held for the release of the PIE Girls’ Education Statistics and Trends Report 2023/24 on February 26, 2026. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
The Girls’ Education Statistics and Trends Report 2023-24 reveals that a total of 26.2 million children are still out of school, including 13.4 million girls.
Regarding facilities for students with disabilities, the report found that 23% of schools have access ramps, but there are fewer educational establishments that provide special teaching materials or assistive devices.
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The report also mentions that 23% of teachers in girls’ schools receive basic training. Only 19% of schools have digital devices. Additionally, the education budget decreased from 13% to 11%, with 94% of total funds going to salaries, leaving no room for development work. The number of women in higher education is now approaching that of men, but their employment participation is only 24%, which represents a significant loss of human capital.
96% of schools have solid buildings, 92% have toilets and 82% have access to drinking water. The primary education completion rate for girls increased from 75% to 89%; however, malnutrition affects children’s height and weight.
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According to the National Achievement Test (NAT) 2023, girls performed better than boys in English, Urdu/Sindhi and Mathematics. By eighth grade, they were also ahead in science and math. The report highlights that the number of schools per 1,000 children has declined due to population pressure.
While expressing his thoughts on the findings, Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the data presented on girls’ education will serve as a basis for policy making. He stressed that without accurate data it is not possible to resolve the problems.
“History shows that no country develops in isolation; the entire region progresses together,” he said. “After the data, we need to take concrete actions, because effective policies have always been formulated based on data.”
He said the path to preventing girls dropping out of school can only be blocked by changing our attitudes and broadening our thinking, and that it is crucial to decide whether to treat Pakistan’s population of 140 million young people as a burden or provide them with opportunities to turn them into an asset.
“We must start the fight against ignorance from our homes,” he added. “The State gives a girl a diploma or a skill, and it is her right to be able to advance.”
If parents must entrust their daughters with domestic responsibilities, they must also allow them to continue their professional work. “It’s a waste of human capital to confine qualified women to their homes.”
Siddiqui concluded by saying that serious actions towards girls’ education have become an urgent necessity and the government will use all resources for this purpose.
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State Minister for Education and Vocational Training Wajiha Qamar discussed the main highlights of the report, saying an action plan needs to be developed.
Director General (DG) of Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), Dr. Mohammad Shahid Soroya said that Pakistani girls are proving their exceptional abilities in the field of education. National Achievement Test (NAT) results show that when girls are provided with a conducive environment, they can outperform boys in all areas. “Our goal is to identify, through data, the gaps that are hindering our girls’ progress, so we can improve policymaking.”
The report was developed in collaboration between the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), Malala Fund, Pakistan Alliance for Girls’ Education (PAGE) and the Ministry of Education. Federal Parliamentary Secretary Farah Naz Akbar, Senator Fawzia Arshad, representatives of partners and education experts also attended the event.
