The education system in Pakistan has faced numerous challenges over the years, leading to a continuous decline in its standards. Education is a fundamental right and a crucial element for the socioeconomic development of any nation. In Pakistan, however, the educational landscape is marred by various issues that hinder the growth and development of its human capital. It has faces critical challenges, which are believed to have been deepened by Covid-19 and natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.
An estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 are out of school. Currently, Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children (OOSC) with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 not attending school, out of 63.3 million school-age children, representing 44 per cent of the total population in this age group.
Even before the pandemic, Pakistan had 75% Learning Poverty, which means that prior to the floods it started with already a very high percentage of 10-year-olds that cannot read and understand a simple age-appropriate text. The most vulnerable are disproportionately affected by the sector’s challenges. Pakistan’s learning poverty rate — the percentage of children unable to read and understand a short age-appropriate text by age 10. It is more than 16 percentage points higher than the average for South Asia and more than 19 percentage points higher than the average for lower-middle-income countries. The high number of primary and secondary school-age children who are not in school and the low quality of education — about 65 per cent of children perform below minimum proficiency in reading — explain Pakistan’s high learning poverty rate.
Persistent challenges
Although enrollment of Pakistan’s children age 5-16 rose from 50 per cent in 1990 to 70 per cent in the school year 2018/19, learning challenges persist throughout the system, and barriers to enrollment and learning increase as 3 children grow older. For example, while 85 per cent of boys and 79 per cent of girls are enrolled at age 9, just 56 per cent of boys and 40 per cent of girls remain in school by age 16.2 Each year, therefore, Pakistan’s education system loses a huge number of students.
In 2018/19, 8 per cent of students (15 million) dropped out. Due to school closures and the socioeconomic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2022 floods on families, an estimated 2 million to 3.5 million additional children will drop out of school in Pakistan, erasing years of enrollment gains. Pakistan spends only 2.5 per cent of its GDP on education, far less than the international median of 4.4 per cent. The government spends roughly 10 per cent of its annual budget on education— half the international benchmark recommended by the Education 2030 Framework for Action.
Cost issues
Increasing funding and the efficiency of that funding remain key challenges for providing every child with a quality education. Little is known about the costs of bringing out-of-school children to school, and how to do it efficiently. This chapter develops back-of-the-envelope estimates of what it would cost to provide all children with a “life raft”: schooling at a minimum quality level to achieve literacy and develops a framework of interventions to better cater to the needs of out-of-school children. It begins with a set of stylized facts on the out-of-school population and then offers estimates of how much it will cost Pakistan to have all of its children in school under different assumptions, including the added cost of a higher-quality education.
Although the debate over out-of-school children usually lumps children with different life stories and characteristics under a single label, a single solution will not bring all children into school. That is why the chapter develops a framework that, along with higher and better-targeted funding, responds to the varying needs of different groups of children to sustainably reduce learning poverty and enable Pakistan to realise its human capital potential
For example, learning poverty is highest for the poorest, and the most impoverished children – mainly in rural areas – are more likely to be out of school. The authorities are now actively strategize to prevent a rollback on important gains made vis-à-vis education, especially girls’ access to education in the last decade. Inaction can result in millions of more Pakistani children dropping out of schools.
So, simply bringing all children to school will not be enough to end Pakistan’s learning poverty and build its human capital. Among the top barriers to children’s enrollment and progression in school, the most common are high cost, distance to schools, perceived poor quality of education, and shortage of teachers. These barriers are particularly relevant in rural schools and persist across education levels. Therefore, an important first step is to recognize that out-of-school children (OOSC) are not a homogenous group. Policies need to be tailored to the characteristics of distinct groups to maximize impact. The longer children are out of school, the less likely they are to go to school, especially children who have dropped out. Tackling dropouts requires targeted, aggressive, and innovative solutions.
Way forward
Bringing all children into school while also improving learning outcomes and overall education system efficiency is challenging, but it can be done. Pakistan can create a supportive environment for increased retention by training teachers and school administrators to identify children at risk of dropping out and provide in-school remediation for low-achieving primary school children.
It can also scale up the existing more effective and efficient approaches and expand them to schools in districts with high dropout rates. And Pakistan can support households in reducing dropouts by expanding the education conditional cash transfer programmes, increasing benefit amounts for secondary school children, and providing dedicated and free transport for secondary school girls and female teachers.
Bringing all children to school while ensuring a higher level of learning would cost at least 5.4 per cent of GDP, up from the current spending of 2.5 per cent. This would require large efficiency gains in access and improvements in quality. Employing business-as-usual to bring out-of-school children into school in each province and improve the quality of education would cost around 4.3 per cent of GDP.
The population out of school children broadly comprises three distinct groups, each with different needs, and policies need to be tailored to maximize impact. The youngest out-of-school children (age 5-9), around half of the total (9.5 million), have the most straightforward needs: access to schools, a caring teacher in front of the classroom, and perhaps a nudge to parents from the community to enroll their children in school. But children who are in school and at risk of dropping out (typically age 8-16) often require additional learning support, to make sure that parents see the value of keeping their child in school. As the labor and marriage markets start pulling older children away from school, parents may need incentives that reduce their cost of sending children to school, such as stipends. Older children who have never been to school require specific literacy interventions and/or short-term skills training to help them become literate and obtain job-related skills.
Suggestions for improvement
Increase funding for education: Allocating a higher percentage of GDP to education will allow for improved infrastructure, better teaching materials, and enhanced facilities. Collaboration with international organizations and private sector investment can also supplement government funding.
Enhance teachers’ training: Improving the quality of teaching is essential for raising educational standards. The government should implement comprehensive teacher training programs that focus on pedagogical skills and subject knowledge. Competitive salaries and incentives can attract and retain talented individuals in the teaching profession, fostering a motivated workforce.
Regular revision of curriculum: The curriculum should be revised to meet the needs of the modern world. It should emphasize critical thinking, creativity, and practical skills that are relevant to today’s job market. Regular reviews and updates are necessary to ensure that educational content remains relevant and engaging for students.
Socioeconomic barriers: Implementing scholarship programs and financial assistance for underprivileged families can help alleviate the financial burden of education. Awareness campaigns should also be launched to emphasize the importance of education, particularly for girls, to change cultural attitudes and encourage families to invest in their children’s education.
Improve infrastructure: Investing in infrastructure is crucial for improving access to education. The government should prioritize building new schools in underserved areas and upgrading existing facilities. Providing essential resources such as libraries, laboratories, and access to technology will create a more conducive learning environment.
Cultural change initiatives: Community engagement is vital in changing cultural attitudes towards education. Initiatives that involve community leaders, parents, and local organizations can help promote the value of education. Campaigns that highlight successful female role models in education can also encourage families to prioritize girls’ education.
Based on this analysis and global best practices, policy and programming recommendations include:
- Expand the supply of safe school schools so that every child has a guaranteed seat in school
- Clean water and basic wash facilities, including safe bathrooms, must be present in all schools.
- Rehabilitate, and build or repair school buildings.
- Hire more qualified (especially female) teachers based on merit to increase enrollment and attendance among adolescent girls. Parents see female teachers as an indicator of security for young girls. Support households to increase enrollments and reduce dropouts
- Direct support to teachers, including structured pedagogy and training in teaching at the right level, have also shown positive impacts on children’s literacy levels.
- Raise awareness about the importance of education, particularly for girls. Community approaches that bring parents, and other household and community members into advocating for and facilitating girls’ access to education and security from home to school can increase education demand. More research is needed on measuring and shifting social norms around girls’ education. This work includes sharing information on returns to education, and the value of education for all for human capital development. Prioritize literacy to increase retention, and enable human capital accumulation
- Develop literacy training materials for caregivers and teachers of young children, using existing curriculum and materials. Train teachers and school leaders to identify children at risk of dropping out and provide in-school remediation centered on foundational learning and numeracy. Low-performing students are often the first to drop out of school.
- Introduce basic literacy and numeracy programs, coupled with skills development programs, to prepare older children who have never attended school or are longer-term dropouts for integration into the labor market. Partner with local community organizations and potential employers to meet the needs in the locality.
Conclusion
The decline in educational standards in Pakistan is a multifaceted issue that requires a comprehensive approach to address its root causes. By increasing funding, enhancing teacher training, revising the curriculum, and addressing socioeconomic barriers, Pakistan can work towards revitalising its education system. Collaborative efforts from the government, private sector, and communities are essential to create a brighter future for the youth of Pakistan. Education is the cornerstone of development, and investing in it is an investment in the nation’s future.
The author, Nazir Ahmed Shaikh, is a freelance writer, columnist, blogger, and motivational speaker. He writes articles on diversified topics. He can be reached at nazir_shaikh86@hotmail.com