THE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s latest enrolment figures reveal a signi-ficant implementation gap in public education. Against an ambitious target of enrolling more than 1.16 million students in government schools, the success rate has been merely around 38 per cent.

Enrolment campaigns often receive considerable administrative attention, but this cannot be a substitute for institutional readiness. As a teacher in the public education system, I have observed that many government schools enter a new academic session several weeks behind schedule. Textbooks for newly promoted classes are delayed in several schools, leaving teachers to begin the process without this most basic teaching resource.

Against this backdrop, the summer camp initiative serves not only as a response to learning loss, but also as an opportunity to revive a struggling enrolment campaign.

However, temporary interventions cannot overcome structural weaknesses that continue to discourage parents from choosing public schools in the first place. The comparison with private schools is instructive. By commencing their academic year on time, and ensuring instructional continuity, they exceed their enrolment targets without prolonged campaigns.

Enrolment is ultimately an outcome of public confidence rather than a response to publicity campaigns. If the government wishes to reverse declining enrolment trends, due priority should be given to timely academic calendars, prompt textbook distribution and uninterrupted classroom instruction. When schools are prepared, enrolment follows naturally.

Manzar Hassan
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2026