Islamabad, About 28 per cent of school-age children in Pakistan -- roughly 20 million -- remain out of school, exposing structural failures that cannot be fixed by political slogans, a report has stated. Despite repeated official declarations of an 'education emergency,' 28 per cent of school-age children - roughly 20 million - remain out of school," an editorial in Pakistan-based 'Business Recorder' stated. In Pakistan, one in four boys remain out of school while nearly one in three girls remain out of school.This disparity in gender demonstrates entrenched social norms, widespread poverty, and weak public provisioning of education. Other provinces have worse statistics, showcasing that education remains a low priority in large parts of Pakistan. For families struggling to put food on the table, education becomes a luxury rather than a constitutionally guaranteed right," it added.

Source: Economic Times February 07, 2026 08:41 UTC