Every budget season in Pakistan arrives with promises of reform, with education once again presented as a state priority. Yet beyond the slogans lies a harsher reality: Pakistan continues to spend among the lowest proportions of GDP on education in South Asia despite facing one of the world's largest out-of-school populations. UNESCO recommends allocating at least 4-6% of GDP to education, but Pakistan's public spending remains between 0.8 and 2%, according to UNICEF and the Pakistan Economic Survey.

The consequences of this chronic underinvestment are borne most heavily by girls. More than 25 million Pakistani children remain out of school, most of them girls. This not only reflects an education crisis, but a national failure to treat girls' education as a genuine fiscal priority.

This is why Pakistan's education debate can no longer revolve around symbolic budget increases alone. The real issue is whether budgets are gender-responsive, whether they directly address the barriers preventing girls from entering and remaining in school.

Sindh's FY2025-26........

© The Express Tribune