ISLAMABAD: A recent report from the Federal Ministry of Education has disclosed a startling revelation that a staggering 2.62 million children in Pakistan are deprived of attending school. The data for the report, covering the academic year 2021-2022, is set to be officially released soon.
According to the report’s findings, Punjab tops the list with 1.17 million children lacking access to education, followed by Sindh with 763,000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 363,000, and Balochistan with 313,000. Additionally, the federal capital, Islamabad, has 80,000 children who are not attending school.
The report highlights that 39% of these children are not attending school for various reasons, with Balochistan having the highest percentage of 65% of children out of schools, although Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has a comparatively better educational standard. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 30% of children are not attending school.
Analyzing the data, the report shows a slight improvement from 44% of out-of-school children in 2016-2017 to 39% in 2021-2022. However, at the intermediate level, 60% of students are still deprived of education, while at the matriculation, middle, and primary levels, 44%, 30%, and 36% of children, respectively, are not attending school.
This revelation raises concerns about the state of education in the country, urging authorities to take proactive measures to address this alarming situation.
