Experts believe that weak administration, political interference and insufficient budgets make the situation worse.
LAHORE:
Although Punjab is considered the educational hub of Pakistan, millions of children in the province are still out of school. Government and international reports show that poverty, inflation, shortage of teachers, lack of basic facilities and financial difficulties faced by parents have become major obstacles to education in the province.
According to official education statistics, thousands of government schools are functioning across Punjab and millions of students are enrolled, but nearly 9.6 to 9.7 million children are still out of school, the highest figure in Pakistan. Reports from UNICEF and the Pakistan Institute of Education indicate that more than 25 million children across the country are out of school, with Punjab accounting for the largest share.
Former provincial education minister Imran Masood said poverty and inflation in rural areas are forcing many parents to send their children to work rather than to school. “Many families struggle to meet even daily food and household expenses, making education costs impossible to afford. Girls are particularly affected as they often drop out of school due to domestic responsibilities, early marriage and social restrictions,” Masood noted.
“There are mainly two categories of out-of-school children in Punjab. The first includes students who study up to primary or middle level and then drop out of school, while the second includes children who are never enrolled in school. Many parents are unaware of the importance of education and prefer their children to contribute financially to the household income. In several rural areas, schools are located far away and transportation is unavailable, making access to education difficult. Some children become too old and are then refused admission,” Masood noted.
The reports further reveal that thousands of schools in Punjab are functioning with a single teacher who manages the entire establishment. Many schools also lack basic facilities such as electricity, drinking water, furniture, toilets and computer laboratories. In some cases, school buildings are in unsafe condition and pose safety risks to children.
Parents say the quality of education in public schools remains poor, preventing students from receiving meaningful learning opportunities. In urban areas, private school fees are too high for poor and middle-class families, while in rural areas, many communities still do not have schools nearby.
Imran Masood added that poverty alone is not responsible for the growing crisis. “Weak administration, teacher absenteeism, political interference, lack of control and insufficient education budgets aggravate the situation,” Masood said. Experts warn that if children do not benefit from quality education, safe learning environments and modern facilities, the crisis could further intensify.
Education expert Rana Liaqat explained that school attendance is monitored through the school information system, but the current digital system has also contributed to a decline in attendance records. “Under the system, registrations must be uploaded online within a fixed time frame, after which registrations cannot be made,” Liaqat explained.
According to attendance data collected from 37 districts of Punjab, more than 9.6 million students are enrolled up to 10th grade. However, attendance figures for April 21 showed that only around 370,000 pupils were marked present, while hundreds of thousands were absent and millions had no recorded attendance. The highest number of missing students was reported from Lahore and Khanewal.
The provincial government says it has launched registration drives, teacher recruitment, digital monitoring systems and public-private partnerships to get children back to school. Authorities say millions of children have been re-enrolled and teacher training is improving.
However, education experts say these measures are not enough. They are calling for more schools in rural areas, scholarships for poor families, reduced teacher shortages, better infrastructure and awareness campaigns on the importance of education, while also insisting on strict action against child labor.
Experts warn that without urgent and lasting reforms, the growing number of out-of-school children could lead to serious economic, social and security problems in Punjab and Pakistan.
