Over the past few decades, Pakistan has made significant progress in improving its education system. The country expanded free and compulsory education, increased female attendance, and saw major reforms like merit-based teacher recruitment and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to enhance teaching quality. Punjab, for example, doubled the number of children in school between 1998 and 2020. These efforts, supported by better data and civil society engagement, have laid the foundation for continued improvement.
However, challenges remain. Pakistan spends less on education than the South Asian average, and 20.3 million children are still out of school. Eight out of 10 children cannot read by age 10, leading to long-term negative effects on human capital and economic growth.
The country’s education crisis has been worsened by the pandemic, the 2022 floods, and political instability. Despite fiscal constraints and economic challenges, urgent reforms are needed to prevent further declines in learning and human capital, which are crucial for future economic growth.
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