Pakistan faces a serious education crisis, with over 26 million children out of school

It said that despite the steps taken by the government in recent years and its commitment to bring these children back to schools, the number remains over 26 million.

In response to a question by Pakistan National Assembly member Shahida Rehmani, Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Monday gave a written reply, which was not debated in the lower house, reports Dawn.

It said the 26.20 million children out of school include nearly 10 million children (10,774,890) in the age group of 5-9 years, about five million (4,935,484) in the age group of 10-12 years and 4.5 million in the age group of 13-14 years. Additionally, six million students in the age group of 13-16 years are out of school and are deprived of higher secondary education.

Shahida Rehmani also asked the government about the steps being taken to increase enrolment of girls in schools, Dawn reported.

The minister told the House that the Federal Directorate of Education, which is responsible for educational institutions in Islamabad, has set up 200 computer labs in educational institutions to teach coding skills. The move has been taken to help girls acquire IT and entrepreneurial skills.

Earlier, it was reported that Pakistan is facing an unprecedented education crisis. According to a report by Pakistan-based The Express Tribune, 25.3 million children aged 5 to 16 were found out of school, which is 36 percent of the country's total school-going population.

The biggest drop in enrolment is in rural areas. The report further states that children in the age group of 5-9 years are the most vulnerable, with 51 per cent never being enrolled.

According to the report, 50 per cent of children have either dropped out of school or do not attend school. It said 53 per cent of children not attending school are girls and “the problem is even more severe in rural areas where female literacy is already very low.”