Islamabad, Feb 27 (NationPress) A recent government analysis has disclosed that 26.2 million children in Pakistan are still without access to education, as reported by local media last Friday.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training unveiled the 'Girls’ Education Statistics and Trends Report 2023-24' on Thursday, highlighting the alarming number of children who remain out of school, according to Pakistan's prominent daily 'Dawn'.

Per the findings, among the 26.2 million out-of-school children, there are 3.4 million girls. The report underscores significant funding challenges, indicating that Pakistan's education financing has diminished, with the national education budget dropping from 13% to 11% and most provinces, particularly Punjab and Sindh, slashing their educational budgets.

The analysis further revealed that only 19% of schools are equipped with digital resources. Additionally, 23% of schools have ramps for students with disabilities, yet there is a lack of sufficient specialized assistive learning materials, as reported by Dawn.

While the provinces have shown a reasonable ability to implement initiatives, the decreasing prioritization of education is a pressing concern, marking a significant shift in Pakistan's educational landscape.

During the report's launch, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Pakistan's Federal Minister, announced that the primary school completion rate for girls has risen from 75% to 89%.

Additionally, the report indicated that malnutrition continues to pose challenges, adversely impacting students' physical development in terms of height and weight.

In a separate analysis last month, it was noted that Pakistan faces difficulties in affording both food and education. A 20-year review of household consumption patterns indicates a structural shift towards covering living costs rather than investing in food, as revealed by a new survey from Gallup Pakistan.

Data from the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) show that household expenditure on food has decreased from 43% to 37% between 2005 and 2025. In contrast, spending on housing and utilities has surged from 15% to 25% of household budgets, according to an editorial in another leading daily, The News International.

The Gallup analysis suggests that with declining real incomes and shrinking food quantities, this trend likely reflects households reducing food consumption to manage rising fixed costs, rather than food becoming more affordable.

The HIES 2024-25 survey indicated that the proportion of individuals experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity has escalated from one in six to one in four between 2018-19 and 2024-25, complicating survival for many in Pakistan, with bleak future prospects.

According to the Institute of Social and Policy Science (I-SAP)’s 15th annual report on ‘Public Financing of Education’, families are now financing the largest share of education costs for the first time in the nation's history. Of the total Rs 5.03 trillion allocated for education, household contributions comprise PKR 2.8 trillion, while the public sector contributes PKR 2.23 trillion.

Households are spending PKR 1.31 trillion on private school fees, PKR 613 billion on tuition and shadow education, and PKR 878 billion on other educational expenses. This disparity arises amid a growing preference for private education and significant issues regarding the adequacy of the public education system.