30,000 Non-Formal Schools nationwide: High girls enrollment, rech courses up to Matric, twice-yearly exams system approved

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Jul, 2026) The Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has officially launched the "Annual Statistical Report 2024-25" and the "Federal Non-Formal Education (NFE) Strategy 2025" here on Tuesday aimed at reintegrating out-of-school children into the educational fold.

According to the report, 34,256 teachers are currently educating 1,238,573 children across 30,543 non-formal centers established nationwide. Notably, the appointment of 83% to 86% female teachers has successfully resulted in girls' enrollment reaching 55%. These centers also benefit 15,747 refugees and over 11,774 minority children. Statistically, 97% of these non-formal educational institutions are dedicated to Primary education, three percent to middle and middle-tech, and one percent to adult literacy.

Sharing his remarks as Chief Guest at the report launching ceremony, Nadeem Mehboob, Federal Secretary Ministry Education and professional training emphasized that following the declaration of a "National Education Emergency," the government's top priority was to bring 25.3 million out-of-school children back into the educational mainstream.

He added that the new strategy created a unified system providing modern technical skills from primary to matriculation levels, enabling these children to contribute actively to national economic growth.

Dr. Zaigham Qadeer Director General PIE, lauded the pivotal role of female teachers and clarified that a comprehensive record of every child’s progress would be maintained through digital monitoring and an advanced data system (NFEMIS) to facilitate better future policy-making.

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Meanwhile, Mr. Yusuke Shinozaki, Chief Representative of JICA Pakistan office, praised the Pakistani government's efforts and assured that Japan would continue its technical and financial support for the implementation of Accelerated Learning Programmes (ALP) and professional teacher training to ensure quality education reaches marginalized communities.

According to provincial data from the report, Punjab leads with 20,610 centers and 678,751 students, supported by 17,750 female teachers and 504 minority students. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 352,535 students across 5,026 centers, where the female enrollment rate stands at 60% and 11,537 refugee children are receiving an education. In Sindh, 58,411 students are enrolled in 1,152 centers, including 8,498 Hindu and 269 Christian children, with a 63% female teacher ratio. Balochistan’s 751 centers cater to 38,115 students, including 2,012 refugees and 54 children from the Hindu community.

The "Federal Non-Formal Education Strategy 2025," prepared by the Ministry of Education, introduces various educational frameworks from primary to matriculation, including 18-month 'Middle-Tech' and 'Matric-Tech' courses in collaboration with NAVTTC. To maintain strict educational standards, the strategy proposes digital manitoring, hybrid learning modes, and the conduct of terminal assessments twice a year under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) to ensure the educational continuity of these children.