Pakistan has taken key federal and provincial-level decisions to bring out-of-school children back into the education system, marking a significant step toward addressing one of the country’s most pressing education challenges.
At the federal level, authorities have decided to establish a Challenge Fund dedicated to enrolling out-of-school children. In addition, a joint national strategy will be implemented following the declaration of a National Education Emergency, aimed at increasing school enrolment across all provinces.
The decisions were finalized during the 38th Inter-Provincial Education Ministers’ Conference, held under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. Education ministers from all provinces approved the National Education Emergency Action Plan, committing to coordinated implementation.
Provincial Progress Shared
During the conference, provinces presented updates on their enrolment initiatives:
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Punjab officials reported the removal of 1.8 million ghost students enrolled through fraudulent records. To boost enrolment, 10,000 government schools have been outsourced.
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Sindh shared that 93,000 teachers have been recruited, alongside upgrades to public schools.
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Balochistan, according to Education Minister Raheela Hameed Durrani, has restored 3,200 closed schools, enrolling 140,000 children.
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa announced the recruitment of 10,000 teachers and the outsourcing of 1,500 schools, resulting in a 6 percent increase in enrolment.
National Challenge Ahead
The Federal Minister for Education stated that Pakistan currently faces the challenge of around 25 million out-of-school children. To address this, a comprehensive National Action Plan has been prepared.
Officials confirmed that all initiatives and funding decisions will undergo final validation by the Education Emergency Task Force, ensuring transparency and effective implementation.
The government said the overarching goal is to expand access to education nationwide and ensure that children who are currently out of school are fully integrated into the formal education system.
