Does Pakistan’s Education System Fail the Poor? Here’s Why It Might

Undoubtedly, education has the potential to change socioeconomic dynamics of a family and, by extension, that of the entire nation. However, Pakistan’s education system is grappling with multifaceted challenges. Millions of children are out of school in Pakistan. They are missing out on the chance to get a proper education. Sadly, many of them never see the inside of a classroom. Many children who come to school often struggle to learn basic skills such as reading and writing, limiting the doors of opportunities.

Lack of proper educational facilities, outdated curricula and teaching methods and poorly trained teachers do not create an enticing environment. Education is supposed to be a ladder to success. However, for the poor in Pakistan, that ladder is broken now. As it is said, “the cards are already dealt”, and the poor rarely hold the winning hand. So, if asked, does Pakistan’s education system fail the poor? Sadly, it is so. The answer leans toward a stark “Yes”. It feels like education has become a luxury for the poor rather than a basic right.

The education crisis in Pakistan is deepening. Around 26 million children aged 5 to 16 are out of school in Pakistan. According to Weekly Cutting Edge, over 70% children live in rural areas and 58% of these out-of-school children are females, reflecting the inefficiency of the system and gender disparity. For many families, sending a child to school feels like chasing a pipe dream because it is what they can only wish for but cannot afford or access.

Many students who are enrolled in schools do not learn even the basics. When considering children aged 10 who go to school, only 23% of them can read age-appropriate text. Given this context, schools have become places where children spend their time but do not meet the purpose of attending school because knowledge is not gained. Only situations like watering a dead plant emerge if one tries to scrutinize these facts.

In the first place, a huge number of children are not going to school and a large number of school-going children also learn nothing because the system lets them down even when they are inside the classroom.

Indeed, quality education requires well-trained teachers, modern infrastructure, access to technology and up-to-date learning materials. And all this requires substantial funds. Without the necessary funding, schools cannot be converted into modern-day educational institutions where ideas are invented and implemented. When it comes to education-related funding, the situation is not desirable because the share of education is decreasing gradually, instead of going up. Education spending has decreased to 0.8% of the GDP in 2025 from 2% of the GDP in 2018. For a country like Pakistan which has over 26 million out-of-school children, this is like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

What is more devastating is that allocated funds often do not reach the right place. Corruption, poor governance and ghost schools mainly drain resources. The presence of ghost schools and ghost teachers highlights systematic corruption and mismanagement. Considering this, a large chunk of funds is misused that is meant for education.

A huge number of people live below the poverty line, hindering countless children from getting proper education and involving them in child labour. These children have to work in brick lines, factories, workshops and homes because they have no other choice than becoming breadwinners of their families at an early age because of the poverty factor. So, they do not get a chance to educate themselves.

Many schools, especially in rural areas, lack basic facilities such as proper classrooms, electricity and clean water. This lack of infrastructure has serious implications as it hampers learning. Water shortages, electricity problems and unhygienic conditions also lead to frequent absences and poor academic performance. Simply, it is hard to expect students to reach for the stars when they do not even have a decent roof over their heads.

The gap between public and private schools is widening in Pakistan. Private schools have built a decent reputation mainly because of their better educational facilities, teaching methods and the outcome. People who want a brighter future for their kids normally prefer sending their children to private schools. These institutions, though, provide better education but also charge more fees, which makes it difficult for poor families to send their kids to private institutions. Given this, poor children are left with underfunded and neglected public schools.

• Limited financial means reduce choices for families. They can either meet their basic needs or send their children to school. People prioritise survival over education. Considering these circumstances, education becomes an unaffordable luxury.
• Child labour is also a major problem. Kids are sent to work in factories, fields, shops and homes to contribute to household income. At an early age, they are bound to earn money to meet their ends.
• The situation of girls in poor families is even worse than that of boys. They are kept at home for domestic chores or are married off early, which also widens the gender gap in education.
• Poor infrastructure mainly in rural areas, low education spending, ghost schools and less accountability also demotivate parents and they choose to send their children to work at an early age.
• Many children who choose education normally attend under-resourced schools where proper education is missing and class sizes are overcrowded which further hurt learning outcomes.

• Pakistan’s education spending has decreased to even below 1% of GDP in 2025. The government must consider an increase in education funding to at least 4-6% of GDP.
• The government must improve monitoring to eradicate ghost schools and reduce the misuse of public education funding.
• There must be an accountability mechanism for school performance and fund utilisation. A tracking system can be developed to monitor progress and flag discrepancies.
• Inclusive education policies should be designed to discourage child labour, incentivise school attendance and cater to marginalised communities.

Conclusion

Millions of children are out of school in Pakistan and many who do go to school learn very little because of poor infrastructure and facilities and outdated teaching methods. Poverty, child labour and poor educational infrastructure further worsen the situation. The government needs to overhaul the education system of the country to educate its populace and reduce illiteracy. Steps like an increase in education funding, focus on accountability and the development of support policies are also necessary to make education accessible and beneficial for the poor.