Islamabad, Nov 15 (NationPress) A recent publication from the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) has disclosed that more than 25 million children across the nation are currently out of school, with 20 million of them having never set foot in a classroom.

The report, part of which was disclosed by 'The Nation' on Saturday, reveals that 1,084 transgender children are also among those not enrolled in any educational institution, raising concerns about inclusivity and access.

A province-wise analysis reveals significant disparities. Punjab has 9.6 million out-of-school children, including 4.7 million boys and 4.8 million girls. Sindh follows with 7.8 million children out of school, comprising 3.7 million boys and 4 million girls. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 4.9 million children remain unenrolled, consisting of 2 million boys and 2.9 million girls. Balochistan reports 2.9 million out-of-school children, including 1.4 million boys and 1.5 million girls.

The federal capital also grapples with a major challenge: 89,000 children aged between 6 and 16 are out of school, among them 47,849 boys and 41,275 girls. The PIE report cautions that the number of out-of-school children is increasing by 20,000 each year, underscoring the urgent need for government intervention. Education experts emphasize that effective and immediate policy measures are essential to guarantee all children access to formal education,” the report from the leading Pakistani daily elaborated.

The findings illuminate enduring challenges in Pakistan’s education sector, notably issues of access, equity, and quality, and call for collaborative efforts by the government, civil society, and educational institutions to tackle the escalating crisis,” The Nation underscored.

Earlier this month, Pakistan's Dawn reported that girls in the Upper Kohistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to be adversely affected as nearly 60 percent of primary and middle schools remain closed due to teacher shortages, absenteeism, and administrative issues.

Another report indicated that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has nearly halted a stipend program for girl students in government schools, as funds have not been disbursed over the past three years.

This stipend initiative for girls was introduced by the provincial government formed after the elections in 2008 and led by the Awami National Party, primarily aimed at retaining enrolled girls, increasing their attendance, and reducing dropout rates, Dawn reported.

According to sources in the elementary and secondary education department, the department needs PKR 3.8 billion each year to provide stipends to 600,000 eligible girl students in the province. However, they stated that official documents requesting fund allocation have been stalled between the finance and education departments for the last three years.

Previously, PKR 200 was allocated to each girl from sixth to tenth grade under this initiative. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in the province ceased stipend payments to girl students from 2022-23.