A new report by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Education Department has revealed that over one-third of children in the province are not enrolled in school, exposing the scale of Pakistan’s education crisis. The document states that around 4.92 million children—roughly 37%—remain out of school in KP.
Kolai-Palas Kohistan has the highest out-of-school rate in the province, with more than 80,000 children not attending any educational institution. Neighbouring districts Lower and Upper Kohistan follow closely, with 79% of children out of school. Upper Chitral, however, shows progress, with only 10% of children unenrolled.
In the provincial capital, Peshawar, the report found over half a million children out of school, including 319,000 girls—highlighting serious gender inequality in education access.
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Education Minister Faisal Tarakai acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, estimating that over 4.8 million children in the province are outside the education system. He noted that while 1.3 million children were enrolled last year, the government aims to add another one million this year. Efforts are underway, he added, to close the gender gap and reach underserved areas.
The provincial findings echo national trends. According to a January report from the Pakistan Institute of Education, 26.2 million children across the country are out of school—about 39% of the school-age population. Though the percentage has dropped from 44% in 2016–17, population growth has driven up the total number.
Balochistan remains the most affected province, with 65% of children out of school, while Islamabad has the lowest rate. KP’s rate has risen from 30% to 37%, the report notes.
Poverty is cited as a major barrier, especially at higher levels of education, where 60% of secondary and 44% of high school children remain unenrolled.