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Pakistan's education system continues to struggle with severe funding shortages and declining learning standards, according to a recent government report that highlights deep structural problems in the sector.
The findings reveal that millions of children remain outside the education system, while those enrolled often fail to achieve basic literacy skills. The alarming data have intensified concerns about Pakistan's failure to prioritise education in national spending. The report exposes long-standing policy weaknesses and inadequate financial commitment to education, as reported by Dawn. According to Dawn, the report notes that 25.37 million children are currently out of school, while nearly 77 per cent of ten-year-olds are unable to read and comprehend a simple sentence, reflecting a widespread learning crisis. Experts cited in the report emphasise that addressing this challenge will require urgent reforms focused on improving teacher quality, strengthening assessment systems, and ensuring the availability of learning materials in schools. These shortcomings highlight the urgent need for a stronger policy response from the Pakistani government. The findings are detailed in a 171-page document titled "Public Financing in Education 2025-26," released by the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), which operates under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in Islamabad. The report evaluates several aspects of Pakistan's education system, including financial allocations, provincial education foundations, learning outcomes, and the condition of special education programmes. The document paints a troubling picture of a sector that has struggled for years due to chronic underinvestment. One of the report's most concerning findings is the persistently low level of government spending on education. Education expenditure has remained below two per cent of Pakistan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for years, far short of international benchmarks. Spending accounted for 1.9 per cent of GDP in 2019-20, declined to 1.4 per cent in 2020-21, rose slightly to 1.7 per cent in 2021-22, and fell again to 1.5 per cent in 2022-23. Preliminary estimates suggest the figure could drop further to 0.8 per cent in 2024-25, based on available fiscal data, as highlighted by Dawn. The report warns that despite nominal increases in provincial education budgets between 2019-20 and 2023-24, inflation has reduced the real value of these allocations across most regions except Balochistan. It also highlights the particularly weak funding of special education programmes. Although provinces such as Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have increased education budgets following the government's declaration of an education emergency, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)
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