ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s estimated 21.1 million out-of-school children underline the urgent need to treat education as a national priority and fulfil the state’s constitutional responsibility to ensure access to schooling for all children, participants at a discussion organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) said.
The discussion was held in Islamabad to mark World Literacy Day on September 8 and formed part of IPS’s focus on education and human development. Participants expressed particular concern over the growing number of out-of-school children and stressed the state’s responsibility to ensure their access to education.
According to credible statistical sources, Pakistan has approximately 21.1 million out-of-school children. The estimate is derived from data from the Household Integrated Economic Survey and projected population figures from the National Institution for Population Studies.
Participants said the figure should be a cause for serious concern as it reflected a significant gap between the country’s constitutional commitments and the educational realities faced by millions of children.
The discussion was grounded in Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, which makes free and compulsory education for children aged five to sixteen a state responsibility. Speakers noted that the constitutional provision establishes education not merely as a developmental objective but as an obligation the state is required to fulfil through effective institutional and policy measures.
The discussion also frequently referred to the divine command to acquire knowledge and enhance it through keen observation and objective reasoning.
Participants also highlighted Pakistan’s international commitment to education through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4, which calls for quality education and lifelong learning opportunities.
They said the convergence of constitutional and international commitments placed a clear responsibility on the state to develop effective mechanisms to increase enrolment, reduce exclusion and ensure that children benefit from their right to education.
The participants emphasised that the issue of out-of-school children could not be addressed through enrolment targets alone. They said it required sustained attention to structural factors that kept children outside the formal education system, along with stronger policy implementation and coordination among relevant institutions.
The initiative is part of IPS’s broader engagement with pressing issues concerning Pakistan’s social development and public policy. Through its work on children’s education, the institute aims to contribute to informed policy discourse on fulfilling the state’s constitutional responsibility and advancing Pakistan’s commitments under the global education agenda.
The discussion concluded with remarks by IPS Chairman Khalid Rahman, who emphasised making education a vital national priority. He added that universal and quality education required concerted efforts from the government at all levels, relevant institutions and society to ensure that no child remained deprived of education.
