2.5 Crore Children Are Still Out of Schools Despite National Education Emergency

More than 25 million children in Pakistan remain out of school despite the federal government’s declaration of a national education emergency more than two years ago, with a new policy report attributing the persistent crisis to chronic underfunding, weak governance, fragmented policymaking, and poor implementation.

The findings are contained in a comparative policy review prepared by the Civil Services Academy (CSA), which warns that while provinces have developed ambitious education roadmaps under the National Education Action Plan (NEAP) 2026, the biggest challenge remains translating those plans into meaningful action.

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 highest burden of educational deprivation despite Article 25-A of the Constitution guaranteeing free and compulsory education.

The report notes that Pakistan’s education crisis is the result of decades of structural challenges, including rapid population growth, poverty, weak governance, and consistently low investment in education. It adds that public education infrastructure has failed to keep pace with rising demand, contributing to the expansion of low-cost private schools.

Among the provinces, Punjab carries the largest education burden, with an estimated 9.6 million to 10.4 million out-of-school children. According to the Punjab School Education Department’s 2026 baseline report cited in the study, 6.4 million children have never enrolled in school, while another 3.16 million dropped out, highlighting that retaining students is as significant a challenge as enrollment.

The report also identifies province-specific issues. Sindh faces high dropout rates after primary education and recurring climate-related disruptions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa struggles with insecurity, difficult terrain, and a shortage of female teachers, while Balochistan continues to grapple with weak institutions, inactive schools, and scattered populations.

Although Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have comparatively better enrollment rates, the report says inequalities persist within those regions.

The CSA concluded that while the national education emergency has helped bring political attention to the issue, Pakistan’s education crisis cannot be resolved through a one-size-fits-all strategy and requires stronger implementation, better governance, and sustained investment tailored to each province’s challenges.