In December last, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed January 24 as the International Day of Education in celebration of the role of learning for peace and development. This is a reminder of collective duty to help every girl and boy access the quality education that is their right, offering them a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future.
"Every child has the right to an education and quality learning opportunities from early childhood to adolescence. And yet, a range of factors, including economic circumstances, low-quality teaching and schools, geographic location, gender, disability, prevent millions of Pakistani children from learning," said Aida Girma, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.
At present, 262 million children and youth still do not attend school across the globe. When they are in school, they do not have always access to quality education, as 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic mathematics.
Quality education includes learners who are healthy, well-nourished and ready to participate and learn, and supported in learning by their families and communities. In Pakistan, 23 million children aged 5-16 remain out of school - 44 percent of the total population in this age group. The country has the world's second highest number of out-of-school children (OOSC) at the primary level, with five million children aged 5-9 not attending school. After primary school age, the number of OOSC doubles, as 11 million adolescents between the ages of 10-14 are not receiving formal education.
Children who are in schools in Pakistan are not always learning. The 2016 National Education Assessment Report showed that a sizeable proportion of students scored below the acceptable minimum levels for core subjects.