Out of School Children: ASER Pakistan Reports Substantial Increase in Enrollment

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan 2025 national report, officially released on March 26, 2026, shows that the number of "Out of School Children" (OOSC) aged 6-16 years in Pakistan is now 5 million, not 25 million generally reported.  "The findings on access are encouraging. Enrollment levels are high, with 92.2 percent of children aged 6–16 in school and only 7.7 percent out of school", says the ASER Pakistan 2025 report. ASER Pakistan is a citizen-led initiative, primarily led by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) in collaboration with various national and international partners to promote foundational learning. It also works closely with over 10,000 volunteers and numerous local civil society organizations such as the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), PAL Network (People's Action for Learning),  UNESCO and federal and provincial government departments in Pakistan. 

Enrolling Out of School Children in Pakistan. Source: ASER Via Bilal Gilani 

The latest ASER report contains a table showing that the 6 to 16 age group has around 66 million boys and girls. Based on these numbers, the out of school children's population is now 5.3 million. Of the total number of enrollees, 62% attend government schools and 27% are in private schools. 

Number of Out-of-School Children 6-16 Years is 8% (5 million). Source: ASER Pakistan 2025

The number of out-of-school Pakistani preschoolers in the 3-5 years age group is 41%, according to the ASER Pakistan 2025 Report. It indicates that most Pakistani parents do not send their children to school before age 6.

Number of Out-of-School Children 3-5 Years is 41%. Source: ASER Pakistan 2025

Earlier,  the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) in December 2025 put the OOSC figure for children 5-16 years at 20 million. One important difference is the age bracket: ASER's figure of 5 million is for 6-16 years while the HIES figure of 20 million is for 5-16 years.  

While the public spending on education remains low in Pakistan, the private sector spending is higher.  Recent data indicates annual education expenditure exceeds Rs. 5 trillion ($18 billion), driven by roughly Rs. 2.8 trillion in household spending (private) and Rs. 2.23 trillion in government (public) funding, highlighting a major shift towards private financing. 

The total (public+private) spending on education has been rising. In 2024-25 it was $18 billion in USD terms, twice the national defense budget of Pakistan. This appears to be driving higher school enrollment. In addition to increasing access, the key challenges for Pakistan include improving learning outcomes and reducing drop-out rates at higher grade levels. 

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Riaz Haq said…
Facebook post by Idara e Taleem o Agahi ITA

ASER Pakistan 2025 | Scale & Scope (National)

The reach of ASER Pakistan continues to grow, capturing the real picture of education across the country.

- 209,338 children assessed
- 158 districts covered
- 128,768 households surveyed
- 6,227 government schools
- 3,136 private schools

These numbers reflect the strength of citizen-led data in shaping education policy and driving meaningful change.

#ASER2025 #ASERPakistan #Education #DataForDevelopment #LearningOutcomes #Pakistan


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1393883596108227&set=a.626405859522675&type=3

April 2, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Riaz Haq said…
AI Overview
According to the ASER Pakistan 2025 report released on March 26, 2026, 92.2% of children aged 6–16 are enrolled in school, reducing the out-of-school children (OOSC) figure to 5 million, significantly lower than previous estimates. The report highlights 7.7% of children (6–16) are out of school, with higher enrolment driven by increased private and public spending exceeding Rs. 5 trillion.

Key ASER Pakistan Enrollment Statistics (2025):
Net Enrollment (6-16 years): 92.2%.
Out of School Children (6-16 years): 5 million (approx. 7.7%).
Regional Focus: The data emphasizes rural-urban divides, with rural areas showing high enrollment, but with continued disparities.
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan

Key Trends in ASER Data:
Declining OOSC Figures: Previous, higher estimates (e.g., 25 million) are challenged by recent ASER 2025 data, which notes that the 5 million figure represents the 6-16 age group, whereas other surveys may use different age brackets, such as 5-16.

Gender Parity: Girls' enrollment has improved, with girls performing equally or better than boys in rural literacy and arithmetic.
Private vs. Public Schools: The ASER 2023 report noted a high demand for private schools (46.5% of students in 2021-22), and substantial private household spending on education, estimated around Rs 2.8 trillion.
Pre-school Enrollment: The ASER 2025 report highlighted that 41% of children aged 3-5 are not in school, indicating most parents begin schooling at age 6.
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan

Methodology & Context:
ASER 2025 covered 158 districts, surveying 128,768 households and 209,338 children.

The 2023 report highlighted that while enrolment is rising, the 2022 floods negatively affected the education of 30% of children, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan.


April 2, 2026 at 6:15 PM
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