Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Pakistan is facing a severe education crisis. More than 26 million children are out of school. Most of these children live in rural areas. This is one of the highest rates in the world.
Poverty is the biggest factor keeping children out of classrooms. Cultural barriers and the impacts of extreme weather caused by climate change also contribute.
School closures are often announced due to heavy smog, heatwaves and floods. Government schools are rarely equipped with heating or fans.
In the restive provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, education is impacted due to ongoing militancy. Due to political chaos, classes are regularly stopped in the capital, Islamabad.
According to census data, the percentage of out-of-school children aged between five and 16 dropped from 44 per cent in 2016 to 36 per cent in 2023. However, the absolute number rises each year as the population grows.
Answer: due to political chaos
