2.5 crore children are out of school in Pakistan: Of the 1.88 crore rural areas, 53% girls are deprived of schooling

Neighboring country Pakistan is facing economic crisis as well as serious education crisis. An estimated 2.53 crore children between the ages of 5 and 16 are out of school in Pakistan. This figure is 36% of the total school going population of the country. The worst situation is in rural areas. This has been revealed in a report called 'The Missing Third of Pakistan'. The report has been prepared by Pak Alliance for Maths and Science based on the 2023 Census data. This report focuses on the alarming situation of 'out of school children' (OOSC) in Pakistan. The report has revealed important deficiencies in Pakistan's education system. They state that 74% of Pakistan's children live in rural areas. Lack of school facilities, poverty and social problems in these areas make it difficult to bring children to school. Children aged 5 to 9 years most affected The report shows that children aged 5 to 9 years are facing the biggest education crisis. 51% of them had never attended school. About 50% of children have dropped out or no longer attend school. According to the report, this education crisis will have a long-term impact on Pakistan's literacy rate. On the other hand, economic conditions are one of the main reasons for delayed enrollment in rural areas, due to which children cannot reach school. The gender ratio is exacerbating this problem. According to the report, 53% of those who do not go to school are girls. This problem is more in rural areas. The female literacy rate here is already low. 80% of girls in rural areas never go to school The report revealed that 80% of girls between the ages of 5 and 16 in rural areas of Pakistan have never enrolled in school. This figure shows the gender disparity in the education system. This problem is also seen in urban areas which are generally better off in terms of education. Larger cities like Karachi and Lahore, being the capital, have better resources available for education. However, the number of out-of-school children in these cities is high. 18 lakh children are not enrolled in schools in Karachi. Which shows how big this problem is. Regarding this issue, the Prime Minister of Pakistan had declared it an emergency at the beginning of May. However, no concrete steps have been taken yet.

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