Pakistan’s Progress Towards SDG 4: Education Goals and Challenges:
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” For Pakistan, achieving SDG 4 is crucial for fostering social and economic development, reducing poverty, and promoting gender equality.
Progress Towards SDG 4 in Pakistan
1. Primary Enrollment Rates: Pakistan has made some progress in improving primary school enrollment rates. The net enrollment rate for primary education has increased, but the country is still far from achieving universal primary education.Pakistan’s current literacy rate is 62.3%, meaning that about 60 million people in the country are illiterate. The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) is the lead agency for literacy in Pakistan.The literacy rate for females is lower than for males. For example, in the 2018-19 PSLM survey, the literacy rate for females was 51% for the age group of 15 and above, while the literacy rate for males was 69%.
There are around 22.8 million out-of-school children in Pakistan. Many children drop out of school to support their families, and work in factories, hotels, and other jobs. The city of Wah has a literacy rate of approximately 100% and is known as the “city of education
2. Gender Parity: Pakistan’s rank in the Global Gender Gap Index 2024 is 145th out of 146 countries, with a score of 0.570. This is a decline from its 2023 rank of 142nd, indicating that the country is facing growing challenges in achieving gender parity.Efforts to reduce the gender gap in education have seen mixed success. There has been a gradual increase in female enrollment rates at the primary and secondary levels, but significant disparities remain, especially in rural areas. The Gender Parity Index (GPI) for primary education has improved, but it still needs more acceleration to achieve parity.
Increased Investment
The government has allocated Rs103.781 billion for education in the 2024-25 federal budget, a slight increase from the previous year. The government has also committed to increasing the education budget from 1.7% to 4% of GDP.
The Punjab government has announced a significant increase of 13 per cent in education budget for the 2024-25 fiscal, allocating a sum of Rs669. 74 billion. This includes Rs 65.50 billion for development expenditure and Rs 604.24 billion for current expenses.
Non-Formal Education and Adult Literacy
Non-formal education (NFE) in Pakistan is a way to provide education to children and adults who are underprivileged or have dropped out of school. NFE programs in Pakistan include:
Non-Formal Basic Education (NFBE)
This program was established in 1996 to universalize primary education, empower women, and provide employment opportunities. The program is based on the “home school” model, where the community provides a teacher and the government provides funds to the community.
Non-formal education institutions (NFEIs)
These institutions are established without the use of brick and mortar, such as when the government opens a school in a house with a high number of out-of-school children.
Adult literacy centers (ALCs)
These centers teach English, Urdu, and numeracy to adults who are illiterate for a period of eight months.
ALP (Middle Tech) program
This program helps students continue their education beyond primary levels.
NFE programs are run in both the government and private sectors of Pakistan. The government’s policy states that literacy training is a fundamental right of every person and that everyone should learn basic reading, writing, and arithmetic
5.Policy Reforms: Pakistan has made a number of policy reforms to improve its education system, including:
Constitution:
Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged 5 to 16.
National Education Emergency
In May 2024, the Prime Minister declared a National Education Emergency to address the issue of 26 million children not in school and poor learning outcomes.
Education Sector Reforms (ESR)
The ESR program aims to improve infrastructure, upgrade schools, and provide better learning resources.
Prime Minister’s Education Reform Program (PMERP)
This program is designed to improve education.
Social Action Programme (SAP)
This program introduced double shifts in existing schools and expanded basic education.
Higher Education Commission
This commission is responsible for expanding technical and scientific knowledge and ensuring the development of human social capital
Challenges to Achieving SDG 4
Access and Quality
Millions of children, especially girls, in Pakistan remain out of school. Access to education is particularly challenging in remote and conflict-affected areas. Furthermore, many schools lack basic facilities such as clean drinking water, sanitation, and electricity, which hampers the quality of education.
Teacher Shortages and Training
Pakistan faces a shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in rural areas. Many teachers are underpaid and lack professional development opportunities, which affects the quality of education delivered in classrooms.
Infrastructure Deficiencies
Many schools, especially in rural areas, suffer from inadequate infrastructure. Some schools are without proper buildings, furniture, or basic sanitation, making the learning environment uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe.
Socio-Cultural Barriers
Cultural norms and socioeconomic factors hinder education, especially for girls. Early marriages, child labor, and social taboos often prevent children, particularly girls, from continuing their education.
Financial Constraints
Pakistan spends only about 1.7 % of its GDP on education24-25, significantly lower than the 4-6% recommended by UNESCO. This lack of funding affects the ability to build new schools, hire and train teachers, and provide quality learning materials.
Digital Divide:
Internet access: Only 21% of Pakistanis use the internet.
Fixed broadband: Only 1.3% of Pakistanis have fixed broadband connectivity.
Mobile subscriptions: 82% of Pakistanis have mobile cellular subscriptions.
Geography: There is a wide gap in digital device use between rural and urban areas.
In case of any epedemic like covid 19,this division creates a lot of problem and hindrance in giving education to all.
Policy Implementation: Despite multiple policy reforms, implementation remains a significant challenge. Corruption, political instability, and lack of coordination between federal and provincial governments often hinder the execution of education policies.
Conclusion
Pakistan has made notable progress toward achieving SDG 4, with improvements in primary enrollment rates, gender parity, and increased investment in education. Initiatives such as non-formal education programs and policy reforms demonstrate the country’s commitment to enhancing the education sector. However, significant challenges remain. Millions of children, especially girls, are still out of school, and the quality of education is often compromised by inadequate infrastructure, teacher shortages, and limited resources. Socio-cultural barriers, financial constraints, and a widening digital divide further hinder progress.
To fully realize SDG 4, Pakistan must address these challenges through increased investment, enhanced policy implementation, and greater coordination among stakeholders. Improving access to education, particularly in marginalized and remote areas, ensuring equitable learning opportunities, and bridging the digital divide are critical steps needed to meet the SDG 4 targets by 2030. This requires not only financial commitment but also a strategic focus on transparency, effective governance, and inclusive policies to ensure that every child has the opportunity to receive quality education and lifelong learning.
