Punjab Govt Launches Campaign to Enroll Out-of-School Children

Despite being considered Pakistan’s educational hub, Punjab still has millions of children out of school, highlighting serious challenges in the province’s education sector.

According to government and international reports, poverty, inflation, shortage of teachers, lack of basic facilities, and financial hardships faced by parents remain the main barriers to children’s education.

Reports by UNICEF and the Pakistan Institute of Education state that more than 25 million children across Pakistan are out of school, with Punjab accounting for the largest share.

Education expert and former Punjab education minister Imran Masood said poverty and rising inflation in rural areas have forced many parents to send their children to work instead of school.

He added that some areas still lack schools, forcing children to travel long distances for education. In several schools, only one teacher is available, while many institutions continue to operate without basic facilities.

Parents said the poor standard of education in government schools prevents children from receiving quality education, while high fees in private schools have become unaffordable for low- and middle-income families.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government claims it has launched special campaigns to bring out-of-school children back into the education system.