The Constitution of Pakistan states that every child has the right to free and compulsory education, yet millions of children in the country remain deprived of their Constitutional right, says a new report by Alif Ailaan, a local alliance for education reform.

The report titled “25 Million Broken Promises” says that there are currently 25.02 million boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 16 who are not in school.

“What’s worse, the proportion of out-of-school children (OOSC) increases as the level of education rises so that by the higher-secondary level almost 85% are not in school,” the report reveals.

Below are 10 alarming statistics about the education crisis in Pakistan, as highlighted in the report.

1: In relative terms, most out-of-school children are in Balochistan

2: More than half of the country’s out-of-school children live in Punjab

3: Across the country, it is harder for girls to go to school

4: Girls make up more than half of all out-of-school children

5: A majority of girls’ parents do not allow them to study, while boys are mostly not willing to go to schools

6: Older children are more likely to be out-of-school

7: Around 70% of children out-of-school have never been to a school

8: Girls mostly drop out of school to help with work

9: Children from poor families far more likely to be out of school

10: The education system is unable to retain enrolled students

Source: Alif Ailaan