26% of Out-of-School Children in Pakistan Concentrated in 45 Tehsils

A recent report by the Pakistan Alliance for Maths and Science reveals that over 25% of Pakistan’s out-of-school children are concentrated in just 45 tehsils, Dawn reported yesterday.

The study highlights that 25.3 million children aged 5-16 are not enrolled, with 79% having never attended school. Sibi and South Waziristan tehsils are particularly alarming, with over 90% of children not in school.

Kot Mandal in Sibi leads with 91.62%, followed by Tol Khulla in South Waziristan at 90.8%. Other high-risk tehsils include Sanni (89.1%) and Battaria (88.4%). Conversely, Rawalpindi, Abbottabad, and Upper Chitral are top performers, with less than 10% out-of-school rates. Education Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani stated that the federal government is addressing this issue, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions in these lagging tehsils to improve literacy rates and educational access.