Public sector education in Pakistan – a comparative analysis

2026-03-06 - 22:23

Ayesha Zia Public sector education serves as a foundation for national development by ensuring access to the majority of the population. Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees compulsory education from age 5 to 16, up to Senior Secondary level, yet millions of children remain out of school. This insight is a comparative analysis of the provincial public education system of Pakistan, assessing disparities in enrollment, out-of-school children, budget, teachers and structure, while suggesting corrective reforms. Pakistan’s education system consists of three streams: public, private, and madrassa. While private schools broadly educate 43% students, and 4% of the students are enrolled in madrassas, the public sector caters for the majority, with 53% students enrolled in 176,184 public schools across the country. Since almost 45% of the population lives below the poverty line, public schools remain the only affordable option for the majority of families, with school fees ranging from free to PKR 100. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2024-2025, the combined federal and provincial education budget is 0.8% of GDP. Pakistan lags behind other South Asian countries in terms of education budget, as India and Nepal spend around 4% of GDP on education, Bangladesh over 2%, and Sri Lanka around 2%. The overall literacy rate remains at 60% while there are notable disparities among provinces, with Punjab having the highest literacy rate at 66.25%, followed by Sindh at 57.54%, KP at 51.09%, Balochistan at 42.01%, AJK at 70% and GB at 58%. While the number of public schools establishes the baseline for access to education, enrollment outcomes are shaped by institutional and socioeconomic factors. Punjab and Sindh have a higher concentration of public schools and a higher enrollment rate, supported by an urban-centred population distribution (Figure 3 and Figure 4). KP and Balochistan have fewer public schools and a lower enrollment rate due to a scattered population, security challenges, and weak governance. AJK and GB also have fewer public schools and a lower enrollment rate due to a smaller population and dispersed settlements across mountainous terrain. Out-of-school children and the school-to-child ratio are another manifestation of disparity in public education. Punjab’s 1:521 school-to-child ratio and 10 million out-of-school children indicate institutional strain. Sindh and KP have comparatively better public school-to-child ratios of 1:106 and 1:156, respectively. However, Sindh’s 6.48 million and KP’s 4.92 million out-of-school children indicate that the provinces also face the problem of high out-of-school children due to poverty, cultural barriers and infrastructural gaps. Balochistan has a public school-to-child ratio of 1: 22 and 3 million out-of-school children. Despite having a low public school-to-child ratio, Balochistan has the highest number of out-of-school children as per the population. In contrast, AJK and GB have lower ratios of 1:87 and 1:79, respectively, with 216,000 and 90,000 children out of school, indicating comparatively lower institutional strain. Overall, the comparison shows that Punjab and Balochistan face the greatest challenges, while Sindh and KP have moderate strain. AJK and GB manage access more effectively despite smaller populations. The Education budget also indicates provinces’ priority towards public education. Punjab, despite allocating the highest education budget in 2025, shows a declining budget trend over the past decade (Figure 6). KP, Balochistan and AJK have shown moderate growth in their education budgets. Sindh’s minimal increase points to stagnant investment, a trend also seen in GB. Provincial governments show uneven prioritisation of education, with most investing steadily, while Punjab exhibits a declining trend. Punjab’s 26% vacant teacher posts demand urgent hiring and strict attendance monitoring. In KP and Balochistan, 17.7% and 20% teacher posts are vacant, respectively. Sindh has 10% vacant teacher posts, while no credible data is available regarding the number of vacant posts in AJK and GB; they also face staffing gaps issues. This shows that teacher shortages are highest in Punjab, moderate in Balochistan and KP, lower in Sindh, with staffing gaps in AJK and GB. Public schools in Pakistan have an uneven structure across primary, middle, and secondary levels, as shown in Table 1 and Figure 9. Balochistan has the highest share of primary schools, followed by KP, Sindh, and AJK, showing limited availability of middle and secondary schools. GB has the highest number of middle schools, while Punjab has the largest share of secondary schools. Notably, Punjab is the only province where secondary schools outnumber middle schools, reflecting stronger secondary-level capacity but a disruption in the progression from primary to secondary education. Overall, while primary education is widely available nationwide, middle and secondary schooling remain uneven across all provinces, with Punjab showing an irregular pattern. The comparative analysis shows that Punjab faces institutional strain and low budget prioritisation over the last decade. Increasing education funding and expanding infrastructure are essential to meet rising demand. Sindh’s stagnant investment has limited the development of middle and secondary schools, hindering educational progression. Strategic investments are necessary to expand access to higher education levels. KP struggles with lower enrollment caused by scattered populations and security challenges. Mobile schooling options and teacher incentives for remote areas can play a key role in encouraging consistent attendance. Balochistan, despite favourable school-to-child ratios and budget allocations, records the highest number of out-of-school children and the lowest literacy rate. This gap points to weaknesses in resource management and service delivery. Focused interventions are required to address the high out-of-school rate and ensure effective utilisation of allocated funds. AJK and GB perform relatively well, but further progress is constrained by geographical challenges. There is a need to expand locally accessible public schools in AJK and GB to overcome geographic isolation. Provinces gained authority over policy, budgeting, and administration of public sector education due to the decentralisation under the 18th Amendment, but this also created disparities in performance. Addressing these gaps requires provinces to implement targeted reforms, supported by the federal government through outcome-based funding for under performing regions and inter-provincial performance reviews, reinforcing education as a foundation for national development.