The recently released District Education Performance Index (DEPIx) Report 2023 paints a troubling picture of Pakistan’s education system, revealing that all 134 districts, except Islamabad, are struggling with significant gaps in education delivery. The report, developed by the Planning Commission and launched by the United Kingdom High Commissioner to Pakistan and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, highlighted that Pakistan’s national average score is a dismal 53.46 out of 100, placing the country in the “Low” performance category.
The DEPIx Report underscores the severity of the situation, with no district achieving a “Very High” performance rating. Even the highest-performing district, Islamabad, barely manages to fall into the “High” category. The overwhelming majority of districts—133 out of 134—fall into the “Medium” to “Low” categories, reflecting widespread challenges in the education sector. This has resulted in a dysfunctional education system where learning outcomes and public financing are critically lagging.
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The report’s findings highlight that 77 districts, representing more than half of the country, fall into the “Low” performance category. Alarmingly, all districts in Balochistan are categorized as “Low,” pointing to severe educational disparities across provinces. The DEPIx Report also reveals that 80% of out-of-school children in these districts have never attended school, with parents citing poor quality education in the public sector as a major deterrent.
Provincial Disparities and Governance
The DEPIx Report sheds light on the stark disparities between provinces in terms of education performance. Punjab, with a composite score of 61.39, emerges as the best-performing province, particularly excelling in infrastructure and access with a score of 73.36. However, Punjab struggles with governance and public financing, areas where Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) outperforms other provinces. KP scores higher in governance and management, as well as public financing, but lags behind in learning outcomes.
Sindh, while showing relative strength in public financing, scores poorly in infrastructure and governance. The report indicates that Sindh’s overall score of 51.55 is just slightly above Balochistan, which has the lowest provincial score of 45.50. The findings reveal that no districts from Sindh or Balochistan are among the top 10 highest-scored districts, which are predominantly from Punjab and KP.
The governance crisis in Punjab is exacerbated by high bureaucratic turnover, with education secretaries serving an average tenure of just six to eight months. This instability has contributed to poor governance and inconsistent policy implementation, further hindering education outcomes. In contrast, KP’s stronger governance framework has led to better management of educational resources, although it still faces challenges in improving learning outcomes.
The Call for Urgent Reforms
The DEPIx Report calls for immediate and targeted reforms to address the glaring gaps in Pakistan’s education system. One of the most pressing issues identified is the inadequate public financing for education. The report highlights that only 1.7% of Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is allocated to public education, significantly below the global average of 3.7%. This underfunding is compounded by inefficiencies in budget allocation, with up to 90% of the education budget being spent on salaries, leaving little for infrastructure development, learning materials, and teacher training.
The report also emphasizes the need for better governance and accountability in the education sector. Rafiullah Kakar, Member Social Sector of the Planning Commission, suggests that mapping education performance based on political constituencies could help hold legislators accountable for their districts’ educational outcomes. This approach could incentivize better governance and more equitable resource distribution across districts.
The DEPIx Report 2023 presents a sobering assessment of Pakistan’s education system, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive reforms. With significant disparities between provinces and widespread underperformance across the country, the report underscores the importance of increasing education financing, improving governance, and ensuring equitable access to quality education for all children in Pakistan. Without these critical interventions, the nation’s education system will continue to struggle, leaving millions of children without the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the future.