Education in Pakistan is always considered the foundation of national development, economic stability, and social prosperity, but the ground realities seem to negate such a claim. According to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) 2026 Report, if more than 25 million children between the ages of 5 and 16 are out of school (OOSC) in Pakistan, it is not just a problem for the education sector but also a matter of national security, economic future, and social stability. The Civil Services Academy Comprehensive Policy Review Report has once again highlighted the bitter reality that, despite the passage of more than two years since the declaration of a National Education Emergency, Pakistan has not been able to overcome its biggest education crisis. This report has made it clear that the problem is not about making new policies but about the effective, transparent, and continuous implementation of existing policies.

Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan grants every child the right to free and compulsory education, but there is a large gap between the constitutional guarantee and the practical situation, which is why Pakistan is among those countries in the world where the number of out-of-school children (OOSC) is alarmingly high. This is not just a numerical problem, but a crisis related to the dreams of millions of families, the future of children, and the human development prospects of the country. The out-of-school children crisis is becoming increasingly urgent to address through the National Education Action Plan (NEAP) 2026.

The Civil Services Academy comparative policy review, UNICEF assessments, and Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) data collectively indicate that, over the past several decades, inadequate public financing, a........

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