Punjab’s school enrolment crisis continues to deepen  

Experts believe weak administration, teacher absenteeism, political interference worsening the situation

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Funds to support 75 schools, rehabilitation and transport facilities

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LAHORE:

Despite Punjab being considered the educational hub of Pakistan, millions of children in the province are still out of school. Government and international reports show that poverty, inflation, shortage of teachers, lack of basic facilities, and financial difficulties faced by parents have become major barriers to education in the province.

According to official education statistics, thousands of government schools are functioning across Punjab with millions of students enrolled, yet nearly 9.6 to 9.7 million children remain out of school, the highest figure in Pakistan. Reports by UNICEF and the Pakistan Institute of Education state that more than 25 million children nationwide are not attending school, with Punjab accounting for the largest share.

Former provincial education minister Imran Masood opined that poverty and inflation in rural areas are forcing many parents to send their children to work instead of school. "Many families struggle to meet even daily food and household expenses, making educational costs impossible to bear. Girls are especially affected as they often leave school because of domestic responsibilities, early marriages, and social restrictions," noted Masood. 

“There are mainly two categories of out-of-school children in Punjab. The first includes students who study up to primary or middle level and then leave education, while the second includes children who never enroll in school at all. Many parents lack awareness about the importance of education and prefer their children to contribute financially to household income. In several rural areas, schools are located far away and transport facilities are unavailable, making access to education difficult. Some children become overage and are later denied admission,” noted Masood.

Reports further reveal that thousands of schools in Punjab are operating with only one teacher managing the entire institution. Many schools also lack basic facilities such as electricity, clean drinking water, furniture, toilets, and computer labs. In some cases, school buildings are in a dangerous condition and pose safety risks to children.

Parents say the quality of education in government schools remains poor, preventing students from receiving proper learning opportunities. In urban areas, private school fees are too high for poor and middle-class families, while in rural regions many communities still lack nearby schools.

Imran Masood added that poverty alone is not responsible for the growing crisis. “Weak administration, teacher absenteeism, political interference, poor monitoring, and insufficient educational budgets are worsening the situation,” said Masood. Experts warn that unless children are provided with quality education, safe learning environments, and modern facilities, the crisis could intensify further.

Education expert Rana Liaqat explained that attendance in schools is monitored through the School Information System, but the current digital system has also contributed to lower attendance records. “Under the system, attendance must be uploaded online within a fixed time limit, after which entries cannot be made,” said Liaqat.

According to attendance data collected from 37 districts of Punjab, more than 9.6 million students are registered up to grade 10. However, attendance figures from April 21 showed that only around 370,000 students were marked present, while hundreds of thousands were absent and millions had no attendance recorded at all. The highest number of missing students was reported in Lahore and Khanewal.

The provincial government says it has launched enrolment campaigns, teacher recruitment, digital monitoring systems, and public-private partnerships to bring children back to school. Officials claim millions of children have been re-enrolled and teacher training is improving.
However, education experts say these steps are not enough. They call for more schools in rural areas, scholarships for poor families, reduced teacher shortages, better infrastructure, and awareness campaigns on the importance of education, while also stressing strict action against child labour.

Experts warn that without urgent and sustained reforms, the rising number of out-of-school children could lead to serious economic, social, and security challenges for Punjab and Pakistan.