Pakistan is confronting a deepening education emergency, with more than 25.37 million children between the ages of 5 and 16 currently out of school. This troubling statistic, revealed in the newly launched “Pakistan’s Non-Formal Education Report 2023–24,” underscores the growing challenges in the country’s education sector, exacerbated by the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and recent catastrophic floods.
Unveiled at a special event hosted by Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), the report was compiled by the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoFEPT) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The findings position Non-Formal Education (NFE) as a crucial solution to bridge the widening education gap. Currently, 35,427 NFE centres across Pakistan are serving 1.29 million learners—a 20 percent rise in enrollment compared to the previous year.
The report calls for a major expansion of Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs), particularly middle-tech models that blend academic content with vocational training and boast a 70 percent retention rate. It also urges efforts to strengthen youth and adult literacy initiatives, address regional inequalities in access, and improve data collection mechanisms to support informed policymaking.
Federal Education Minister Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the chief guest at the launch ceremony, reiterated the government’s resolve to tackle the crisis. He announced the upcoming Federal Non-Formal Education Policy 2025 with the ambitious goal of achieving “Zero Out-of-School Children,” along with a National Action Plan for NFE 2025. New strategies, including a teacher assessment system and expanded ALPs, are also in development to reintegrate children who have dropped out of school.
“Education is the foundation of progress,” Dr. Siddiqui said. “We must invest in it—especially for girls, as empowering women means empowering half the nation.”
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The event was attended by key stakeholders including Secretary Education Nadeem Mehbub, AIOU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood, and PIE Director General Dr. Muhammad Shahid Soroya. The minister commended JICA and PIE for their collaborative efforts, calling the report a critical tool in shaping Pakistan’s educational future.