As Pakistan prepares to announce its Education Budget for 2025–26, the question we must ask ourselves is not whether we are spending enough—but whether we are spending right. With over 13.7 million girls out of school, and a girls’ out-of-school rate of 41.5% (compared to 34.9% for boys), it is clear that without deliberate, targeted investments, our policies will continue to fail half of our population.
While discussions around gender equality have gained momentum over the past few years, action remains slow. At the current rate, global gender equality is estimated to take 134 more years to achieve. For Pakistan, where the gender gap in education is entrenched and structural, the 2025–26 budget must reflect more than a financial commitment—it must reflect political will.
The Cost of Exclusion
Education is the cornerstone of progress. Every additional year of schooling can raise a person’s income by 9%, improve health outcomes, reduce poverty, and promote national prosperity. Conversely, failing to educate girls comes at a massive cost. The World Bank estimates that barriers to girls’ education result in lifetime productivity and earnings losses of $15–30 trillion globally.
In Pakistan, these numbers are not abstract. They translate into lower female workforce participation, higher maternal mortality, poorer health outcomes for children, and a slower pace of national development.
A Drop-off with Each Level of Schooling
While 9.44 million girls are enrolled at the primary level, the number drops steeply to:
- 3.79 million in middle school
- 1.84 million in high school
- 1.09 million in higher secondary
This progressive attrition is not accidental. It is driven by structural barriers: inadequate infrastructure, lack of female teachers, absence of secure transport, and restrictive cultural norms. In the upcoming budget, we need targeted allocations that address these very barriers—especially in underserved and rural regions.
The Role of Non-Formal Education
Formal education alone cannot address the scale of the challenge. Non-formal education models, such as community schools, can serve as critical bridges. Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education’s Star Schools Program exemplifies how community-based, second-chance education can offer hope. In 2024 alone, over 6,000 previously out-of-school children—many of them girls—were enrolled through this model.
What Must the Budget Deliver?
To be truly gender-responsive, the Education Budget 2025–26 must go beyond aggregate figures. It must:
- Clearly disaggregate allocations for girls vs. boys
- Separate development vs. current expenditures, especially for girls’ education
- Track salary vs. non-salary expenses, ensuring that non-salary spending (on toilets, transport, safety, stipends) supports girls’ retention
- Include targeted allocations for co-educational facilities that address gender-specific needs
- Invest in early warning systems to prevent dropouts and support re-enrollment pathways
- Scale non-formal models, particularly in hard-to-reach areas
Additionally, it is imperative that data on school-wise expenditures—such as that published in federal and provincial demand and appropriation documents—be made accessible, gender-disaggregated, and actively used for monitoring.
The Time to Act Is Now
Investing in girls’ education is not charity—it is strategy. It is the only way to build a skilled, healthy, and empowered population that can lift Pakistan out of its current crises. As the government drafts the education budget, it has a chance to do more than allocate funds—it can reimagine its commitment to equality.
Let this budget be a turning point.
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