Punjab is facing a deepening education crisis as millions of children across the province remain out of school despite repeated government campaigns and enrollment drives. Official data and international reports reveal that Punjab has the highest number of out-of-school children in Pakistan, highlighting serious challenges within the education system.
According to reports, nearly 9.6 to 9.7 million children in Punjab are currently not attending school. UNICEF and the Pakistan Institute of Education estimate that over 25 million children across Pakistan remain out of school, with Punjab contributing the largest share to the alarming figure.
Experts say several factors are responsible for the growing crisis, including poverty, inflation, weak school infrastructure, teacher shortages, child labour, and poor governance. Economic hardships have forced many families, especially in rural areas, to prioritize household income over education, resulting in children leaving classrooms to work and support their families.
Former Punjab education minister Imran Masood stated that many parents are unable to afford educational expenses due to rising living costs. He explained that girls are particularly affected because of domestic responsibilities, early marriages, and social barriers that prevent them from continuing education.
The report identifies two major groups among out-of-school children in Punjab. The first includes students who drop out after primary or middle school, while the second includes children who never enroll in school at all. Lack of awareness about education, long distances to schools, and poor transportation facilities are also contributing factors in many rural communities.
Infrastructure problems continue to create major obstacles in government schools across Punjab. Thousands of schools reportedly operate with only one teacher, while many institutions lack electricity, clean drinking water, toilets, furniture, and computer labs. Some school buildings are also considered unsafe for students.
Parents have additionally expressed concerns over poor teaching quality in government schools, saying students are not receiving proper educational opportunities. Experts argue that administrative failures, teacher absenteeism, political interference, weak monitoring systems, and limited education budgets have further worsened the situation.
Education experts also questioned the effectiveness of Punjab’s School Information System, which digitally tracks student attendance. Reports show that attendance records often remain incomplete because attendance entries must be uploaded within a strict online time limit.
The Punjab government says it has launched several initiatives, including teacher recruitment, enrollment campaigns, digital monitoring, and public-private partnership projects aimed at improving educational access. However, experts believe these measures are still insufficient to tackle the scale of the crisis.
Specialists have called for urgent reforms, including building more schools in rural areas, improving infrastructure, providing scholarships for low-income families, reducing teacher shortages, and launching awareness campaigns to highlight the importance of education. They also stressed the need for stronger action against child labour to prevent children from leaving school prematurely.
Experts warn that without immediate and long-term reforms, Punjab’s education crisis could have serious social, economic, and security consequences for the province and the country as a whole.
