According to estimates, approximately 26.2 million children are out of school, including 13.4 million girls. Between 20% and 28% of school-age children are not enrolled at all, many forced to prioritise survival over education.
Why do some children enjoy their right to education while others are denied it? Why are quality schools reserved for those who can afford them, while millions are left with inadequate alternatives? Why do we continue to tolerate a system that reinforces inequality from one generation to the next?
Children enter the world equal and without any bias or class difference. They are not born with an awareness of class, status or hierarchy, nor do they feel inferior unless society teaches them to. In their earliest years, they see life as a blessing – filled with curiosity, joy and possibility. They do not perceive the disparities that define adult life: political divisions, social stratification, or the invisible barriers that determine who will succeed and who will struggle.
Is this the kind of society we are willing to accept?
The society into which a child is born is structured with failure and inequality. Wealth often determines opportunity. Children from affluent families grow up surrounded by advantages: well-equipped schools, quality healthcare, safe neighborhoods, and networks that open doors to success. These privileges are rarely accessible to children born into poverty.
At a fundamental level, all human beings are equal. We share the same basic needs and capacities – we breathe the same air, learn in similar ways, and possess equal potential. So why do our life outcomes differ so dramatically? For millions, especially in rural and under-resourced communities, basic rights remain out of reach. Access to education, healthcare and meaningful participation in social and political life is limited. In such conditions, even the right to a dignified life becomes uncertain.
This is not an abstract issue for me. I have seen, up close, how poverty shapes lives. A close relative of mine grew up in a modest household, where financial hardship dictated every decision.
Her father, now deceased, was a farmer who laboured tirelessly from dawn to dusk to support the family. Her mother managed the household with discipline and care, striving to meet everyone’s needs despite limited resources. Through sheer determination, she ensured that her children received some education, even when resources were scarce.
For girls in particular, education was often secondary to domestic responsibilities. She was expected to cook, clean and prepare for marriage rather than pursue academic or professional ambitions.
The schools available to them reflect these inequalities. Government institutions were overcrowded and under-resourced, lacking the tools and infrastructure required for modern education. In contrast, private elite schools offer well-equipped facilities and advanced learning environments for children from privileged backgrounds. In many public schools, basic standards are still not met. Three or more students often share a single desk. Electricity is unreliable, classrooms are poorly lit, and sanitation facilities are frequently unusable.
Years later, as a professional in the field of education, I see the same patterns. Children from privileged backgrounds continue to access high-quality schooling, better healthcare and better opportunities, leading to prestigious careers. Meanwhile, children from underprivileged families face the same structural barriers I witnessed decades ago. In many government schools today, conditions remain unchanged – under-resourced classrooms, limited materials and insufficient support for both students and teachers.
Children from wealthy families are far more likely to become doctors, engineers, administrators or officers. Those from poorer backgrounds are often pushed toward low-paying, labour-intensive jobs – not because they lack talent, but because they lack opportunity.
Education, healthcare and social participation are fundamental human rights. Children are born equal. It is our social, economic and political structures that make them unequal. If we are serious about justice, then these are the very structures we must confront and transform at the earliest stage.
Article (Opinion) Published in Express Tribune on April 28th, 2026.
