Educational Emergency Limits To Slogans As Over 800,000 Children Out Of School In Peshawar

Faizan Hashmi Published May 12, 2025 | 03:50 PM

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th May, 2025) Despite the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s declaration of an “educational emergency,” the initiative appears to be limited to mere slogans as a recent report reveals that over 800,000 children in Peshawar alone are currently out of school.

According to data from the provincial education department, nearly 5 million children across KP are not attending school, making up 37% of the school-age population.

The district of Kolai-Palas Kohistan reports the highest number of out-of-school children, with 80,333 not enrolled in any educational institution.

Lower and Upper Kohistan districts show alarming figures, with 79% of children deprived of formal education. In contrast, Upper Chitral has the lowest out-of-school rate at just 10%.

People associated with education sector said the claims of KP Education Minister Faisal Tarakai, are mostly confined to official statements. As the government enrolled 1.3 million children last year, this year’s goal to enroll 1 million more remains unmet so far.

APP/vak