Female students’ primary school completion rate up by 89pc

2026-02-26 - 22:14

The Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training has released the “Girls’ Education Statistics and Trends Report 2023-24,” revealing a landmark shift in the country’s educational landscape. The report, launched by Federal Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, here Thursday at the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) highlights that the primary school completion rate for girls has surged from 75pc to 89pc reflecting a significant return on infrastructure investment. The report reveals that a total of 26.2 million children are still out of school (OOS). Of these 26.2 million OOS kids, 13.4 million are girls. Regarding facilities for disabled students, the report revealed that 23pc of schools have ramps, but there are fewer educational institutions providing special teaching materials or assistive devices. Furthermore, the educational budget has decreased from 13pc to 11pc with 94pc of the total funds being spent on salaries, leaving no room for developmental work. The number of female students in higher education is now approaching equal to that of men, but their participation in employment is only 24pc, which is a significant loss of human capital. This progress is underscored by a drastic improvement in the learning environment across Pakistan, where 96pc of schools are now housed in permanent buildings, 92pc of institutions are equipped with functional toilets, and 82pc provide access to clean drinking water. Despite these gains, the report identifies malnutrition as a persistent challenge, negatively impacting students’ physical growth in terms of height and weight, which remains a priority for future policy interventions. Besides, data from the National Achievement Test (NAT) 2023 confirms that female students are leading academically across the board. Girls secured higher average scores in English, Urdu/Sindhi, and Mathematics compared to their male counterparts. In Grade 8 specifically, girls demonstrated clear superiority in Science and Math subjects. However, a significant socio-economic gap remains; while women have achieved near-parity with men in university enrollment, their actual labor force participation stands at only 24pc. While addressing the launch of report, Federal Education & Professional Training Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui described women’s under-participation in practical and professional life a “waste of human capital,” noting that the transition from education to the professional workforce remains a critical hurdle for the nation.