Balochistan, FATA kids top list of 22.6 million still out of school, says report

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The school dropout scenario in Pakistan continues to present an abysmal picture, with 22.6 million kids not having access to education and as many as 44 percent children aged between five and 16 still being out of school.

The Pakistan Education Statistic 2015-16, which has been launched by the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) - a subsidiary of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, revealed this alarming picture on Wednesday.

In its report, which has referred to by the Dawn, the PES study revealed that only 30 percent children are enrolled from class 1 till 10.

Pakistan's largest province -- Balochistan -- has the highest proportion of out-of-school children (70 percent) followed by the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) (58 percent).

As regards to school infrastructure, the study said 40 percent of public sector primary schools were operating without electricity, 28 percent did not have toilets, 25 percent were without boundary walls and 29 percent had no access to drinking water. Seven percent schools did not have any building and 43 percent had unsatisfactory buildings.

Experts said that there is aneed for the government to treat the matter as an emergency and devote its attention to improving the spread of education across the country.