A government-linked report has warned that student participation in education has dropped sharply after the primary level across Pakistan, with enrolment thinning out even further at middle, high, and higher secondary stages in several provinces.
The findings are part of the 171-page report Public Financing in Education 2025–26, released by the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE).
The report presents Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) data and links the declining participation trend to broader concerns around education access and outcomes.
At the primary level, the report says Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recorded relatively higher participation, with GERs of 88% and 79% respectively in 2023–24.
Sindh stood at 65%, while Balochistan remained significantly lower at 40%. The report adds that AJK and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) reported 82% and 86% GER, respectively.
However, the situation worsens after primary. At the middle level, Punjab’s GER falls to 69%, KP to 56%, and Sindh to 47%, while Balochistan drops to just 22%, according to the report.
The decline continues at the high and higher secondary levels, where the report notes that no province crossed 54% participation. At these levels, participation fell to as low as 20% in Sindh and 24% in Balochistan.
The PIE report also highlights weak learning outcomes and calls for more transparent, results-oriented budgeting to improve both access and performance across the education system.
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