Lawmakers Warn of ‘Educational Poverty’ Without Urgent Reforms in Federal Education Budget 2025–26
MPs Demand Bold Action as Pakistan Faces National Education Emergency
ISLAMABAD: Convenor of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR), Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, MNA, led a high-level briefing on the federal education budget 2025–26 alongside key Members of the National Assembly. Held under the Parliamentary Engagement on National Education Emergency, the session focused on equipping lawmakers with a deeper understanding of education budget trends and their long-term implications.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan thanked participants for their ongoing commitment to education reform, emphasizing the urgency of legislative oversight in reversing Pakistan’s learning crisis. The briefing, delivered by research firm Anthro Insights, provided a five-year retrospective on federal education allocations, revealing critical imbalances in budget utilization.
The presentation highlighted that a substantial portion of the education budget continues to be consumed by recurring costs—mainly salaries—leaving minimal space for development initiatives. Key federal schemes, such as the Daanish Schools and ICT-based learning programs, have shown limited progress, while the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) remains focused on existing projects, with little room for innovation.
Lawmakers expressed concern over this stagnation and called for immediate actions to expand access and quality. They urged the government to prioritize the timely distribution of textbooks, initiate nationwide enrolment drives for out-of-school children, and strengthen teacher training programs. They also stressed that these goals require targeted budget increases, aligned with clear performance indicators.
The session concluded with a joint call for stronger parliamentary oversight and sustained policy engagement with the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. Legislators warned that without bold and strategic reforms, the country risks entrenching a generation in educational poverty.
