WE are at the precipice of an education catastrophe. With a reported 28m children out of school, the nation faces a daunting task. But beyond the alarming statistics lies a deeper problem: a generation at risk. A letter from the centre urging provincial ministers to formulate a uniform national strategy to address the issue is a welcome step. We can only hope it will lead to a substantial action plan. The onus of effective implementation lies with provincial governments given the education sector’s devolved nature. While several initiatives were rolled out in the past to send these children to school, the outcomes were subpar, indicating the need for a deeper dive into the problem. Poverty and lack of awareness are at its root, experts say. Lower-income families simply cannot afford to send their children to school when they are labouring — quite literally — to keep their families afloat. Even if the state manages to enrol them, they drop out for the same reason. Children forced into such situations are deprived of their basic right to an education and remain trapped in a cycle of poverty. Therefore, simply enrolling these children is not the solution. Ensuring they stay enrolled, receive quality education and don’t go back to labour is the real challenge. To this end, the government must introduce financial incentives for families below the poverty line to send their children to school. In tandem, labour laws must be strengthened so children below a certain age do not work. And for older working children, schools must consider flexible timings.

The argument over whether the figure stands at 28m or 22.8m is moot. Even one child out of school is one child too many. The focus, instead, should turn to how serious the state’s commitment is. With Pakistan allocating a mere 1.7pc of its GDP to education, the budgetary priority afforded to the sector is evident. For any tangible change, it is recommended that this be increased to at least 4pc. Resources alone, however, are not the panacea. Efficient utilisation, transparent governance and modern, child-friendly curricula are equally vital. To invest in education is to invest in the future. Every child out of school today is an opportunity lost for progress tomorrow. Let the number, be it 28m or 22.8m, serve as a wake-up call. The nation’s future rests on how it responds.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2023