After looking into recent reports, statistics, and discussions, it’s clear that Pakistan’s education system has serious problems. It focuses too much on memorising facts and using old teaching methods instead of teaching skills that help people earn a living.
According to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, in 2025, the literacy rate is only 62.3%, and about 60 million people are illiterate. This shows that the education system doesn’t prepare most people to improve their economic situation.
This isn’t just a mistake; it’s a result of colonial influences that create workers who follow orders rather than becoming thinkers or business owners.
The roots of colonialism are firm. Set up during British control to create administrators, the education system places a strong emphasis on science, math, and memorisation, and it hasn’t changed much since 1947.
Studies about education after colonial times show that systems like Pakistan’s were not meant to help local people but to keep the power structure in place.
Nowadays, this shows up in old-fashioned curriculums that don’t meet the needs of the 21st century, like critical thinking, digital skills, or starting businesses. A review in 2025 points out that memorising facts is the primary focus, which leaves students unready for jobs in the global market.
Career paths are minimal: they primarily include medicine, engineering, or banking, and there is a significant lack of vocational training. Technical schools are not enough, lacking the proper facilities and tools, according to the Islamabad Policy Research Institute.
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Funding issues make the crisis worse. In FY2025, spending on education dropped to 0.8% of GDP, down from 0.9%, which is way below UNESCO’s recommended 4-6%. This lack of investment leads to crowded classrooms and unqualified teachers.
With 22.8 million kids aged 5-16 not in school, making Pakistan the second highest in the world, according to UNICEF, the education system leaves out a considerable part of the population.
Some estimates say this number is 26.2 million, or 38% of school-age children, with girls suffering the most in tribal areas where female literacy is only 9.5%. The gap between urban and rural areas is growing: Cities like Lahore have a 75% literacy rate, while remote areas struggle.
Graduate unemployment highlights the problem. Millions get degrees that nobody wants, and they end up in debt. As X user @Shahidmasooddr tweeted, “The education system is stuck on old degrees, charging a lot for things that don’t matter. Every year, millions graduate with skills that aren’t needed.”
This reflects a bigger issue: @dilawarkhan_94 mentioned that poor and middle-class families feel trapped in an “open prison” because of bad education, rising prices, and joblessness, calling Pakistan a place “for the elite, by the elite.” 77% of kids are “learning poor,” meaning they can’t read or understand simple text by age 10, according to World Bank data.
Inequality is built into the system. Elitism and leftover colonial attitudes make the gaps worse, with private schools for the rich providing better resources, while public schools struggle. More than 90% of public school teachers send their kids to private schools, showing a “trust deficit,” as @karachiobserver pointed out on X. Gender gaps are still a problem:
There are significant differences in literacy, with girls at a disadvantage. Minister Ahsan Iqbal warned that even though parents care about education, the system might make the rich-poor gap even bigger.
The quality of teachers is low. Bad assessments and poor teaching methods hurt the system, as @faizullahkhant1 tweeted:
“The education system in Pakistan is on the edge of disaster because of general literacy issues, BS programs, and bad assessments and teaching.”
A lot of teachers don’t have the proper training, which keeps the same old problems going. Programs like the Single National Curriculum try to bring everyone together, but they run into issues with fairness and local control.
Starting businesses is hard. If we don’t focus on teaching real-life skills, young people go into crowded job markets without the skills they need. X user @FarazDarvesh pointed out that a growing population, untrained workers, and bad education are causing unemployment and extreme views. This leads to brain drain: smart graduates leave for better chances in other countries.
Proposed reforms include increasing budgets, updating curricula, and training teachers, but the actual implementation is slow. According to LinkedIn analyses, the budget for 2025-26 missed chances to improve education. Goals like achieving 100% primary enrollment by 2025 are still out of reach.
Pakistan’s education system creates dependency instead of wealth. It won’t make you rich because it overlooks innovation, fairness, and relevance. As @Im_Sadam1 pointed out during a time of falling admissions and chaotic policies:
“Pakistan’s education system is in crisis. Unemployment is rising.” Real success needs a complete change: Focus on skills, inclusivity, and accountability. Until that happens, the only ways to get ahead might be through self-directed learning or moving abroad, but for 240 million people, that’s a big national failure.
I’m Zafar Dawar, contributing as an author at Dawar Times. My interest lies in covering diverse topics – from current affairs to opinion pieces that encourage critical thinking.
Writing for Dawar Times allows me to share insights and engage with readers who are curious about the world around them.
- Zafar Dawarhttps://dawartimes.com/author/zafar/
