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Many years, Pakistan invested in billions of education. The results are fascinating. Millions of children are still out of school and learning poverty among the majority of admission can not read a simple, appropriate age. Closing this gap has never been too important.
Last year, international development priorities have seen a rapid change. Traditional aid flow has contracted. In early 2025, the United States abolished USAID, and integrated its work with the State Department in a broad retreat with foreign aid. This has disrupted education and development programs around the world. At the same time, the UK has announced that it will reduce government development aid by 0.3 % of GNI by 2027. France and Germany have also announced a shortage. Pakistan’s own federal and provincial budgets, which were unveiled in June 2025, have increased the allocation of education, which is a welcome indication of political intentions, but is insufficient to meet the scale and complexity of the challenge.
Against this background, the fourth Financing for Development Conference held in Seville, Spain in June 2025, conveyed a clear message about how the global development architecture is being prepared and how countries like Pakistan should be prepared. Sevale emphasized the need for more smart, more accountable and more modern ways to mobilize and use resources, a message that speaks directly to Pakistan’s educational reform agenda. In his heart, Seville called on the countries to start counting what is counting.
The importance of education has been recognized in the recently announced education budget. Punjab and Sindh have allocated about 18 % of their budget education. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has allocated 21 %. Balochistan has allocated 16 %. Despite this, the total costs are minor, GDP has less than 4 to 6 percent of the global education. More critically, it is uncertain to translate these budgets into the results. Development budgets are used as usual for infrastructure, content and teachers’ training. Correcting these disqualification requires strong governance and better alignment between costs and results.
These budgets reach the middle of sobing revelations. In the provinces, millions of children live out of school, girls, disabled children and remote children in the affected areas that face extreme obstacles. In Balochistan, the registration differences are particularly strict. In individuals, about 80 80 % of late primary age can not read and understand a simple text, which reflects the severe poverty of learning and restricts Pakistan’s human capital growth. Salary for teachers’ professional development, remedy programs and monitoring still uses most of the educational budget. To solve both access and learning, Pakistan needs equity investment, which prefers more measurement benefits over repeated costs.
Although Pakistan faces its educational challenges, the landscape is also changing globally. Sevale confirmed that Grant Heavy, a donor -led development period, is giving way to a sample of domestic resources, private capital and modern financing. Earlier, the milestone, Montre, Doha and Addis Ababa gradually presented education as a strategic pillar of sustainable development. Seva pushed the pace and denied it, embedded education within flexibility, climate action and digital change. External aid is no longer a lifeline, but is the fulfillment of credible domestic reforms and innovation.
In the backdrop of this developing landscape, Pakistan needs to embrace education in its development ambitions. Education is not just a social responsibility but a driver of flexibility, productivity and social harmony. This statement is already clear in measures like Punjab’s guidelines for the framework of schools ready for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the climate of the climate, which positions education as a key component of climate adaptation. Pakistan’s aspirations for the digital economy and green growth also depend on young people with relevant skills. Lining the budget with results, climate shock, employment and gender equality can unlock a new series of wider political support and financing, including investment related to climate funds and influence.
With the reduction of aid and rapidly linked to domestic efforts, Pakistan should slowly but credible its financial commitment to education. Instead of leaping up to 4 % of GDP, performance reforms should also be focused on phased growth. Provinces can achieve the deployment of teachers and non -teaching staff, by redirecting double shifts or extension of schools and saving quality improvement. Additional additions should also be linked to the benefits of measuring in learning and inclusion, indicating seriousness for both citizens and partners. The government of Punjab’s performance transfer and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Education Emergency Fund show how provincial governments can effectively connect resources with results.
Given financial barriers and increasing needs, modern financing methods are essential. Seoul emphasized the need to diversify sources and devices. Pakistan already has institutional foundations, such as provincial education foundations, which are more effectively channeling resources. Scale can be done. Contributions with low -fee private schools through results associated with the results, loans for literacy or entry -related development impact bonds, education or climate conversion that redirect external loans to domestic investment, and add new funds to new debt, and unprecedented financing. Guarantee funds can encourage banks to lend to school operators. Corporate social responsibility, humanitarian and Daspura remittances can also be mobilized through transparent, results -based platforms.
Education also requires more political and permanent ownership. Although this government has announced the emergency of education, the follow -up is uneven. In order to maintain education at the national agenda center, high -level commitment to parliamentary surveillance, performance standards and public engagement is essential to maintain education. Lining the results of education with broader development goals, including economic growth, climate flexibility and social stability, can help to counter it more efficiently.
At this intersection of increasing aspirations and expectations, Pakistan’s education challenge is also the biggest opportunity. The new budget, though incomplete, is the basis, and the Seoul agenda offers a clear path. For Pakistan, it means embedded education within climate, expertise and development strategies, permanently increasing domestic resources and better utilization, increasing modern financing and making education a politically visible, result -based priority.
By counting it, Pakistan is not as a responsibility to education, but as a strategic investment, to create flexibility, open human capital and ensure that no child can be left behind in the country’s future and stability.
Ahmed Ali is affiliated with the Institute of Social and Policy Science. It can be arrived at Ahmadaley@gmail.com
