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Started 5 days ago · Updated 4 days ago

Pakistan's Education Crisis: Millions Out of School Amidst Floods and Privatization

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Pakistan is grappling with a severe education crisis, with millions of children out of school due to poverty, inflation, and inadequate facilities, exacerbated by recent devastating floods. The Punjab province alone accounts for a significant portion of the 25 million children nationwide deprived of education, while privatization efforts are further shrinking the public education sector.

• Devastating monsoon floods have damaged approximately 15,000 schools in Sindh province, potentially causing at least 2.8 million children nationwide to miss a semester.
• Thousands of government schools in Punjab are being transferred to private management or sold as part of privatization and outsourcing initiatives, reducing the number of public schools.
• Poverty and soaring inflation are forcing families to prioritize survival over education, leading to increased child labor, while girls are disproportionately affected by early marriages and domestic duties.
• Many schools lack basic facilities like electricity, clean water, and furniture, with some operating with only one teacher, and some buildings deemed unsafe.
• Teacher recruitment has been suspended since 2018, with officials considering hiring interns on daily wages instead of permanent staff.