A groundbreaking report, the District Education Performance Index (DEPIx) 2020-23, developed by the Planning Commission, reveals striking disparities in education performance across Pakistan’s provinces and districts. This first-of-its-kind tool measures district-level education performance, focusing on key outcomes such as access, learning, equity, governance, and inputs such as infrastructure and public financing. Covering 134 districts, including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and all districts in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, and Sindh, DEPIx classifies districts into four categories: Very High, High, Medium, and Low. The report primarily covers the period from 2020-23. Pakistan’s national average score on the index is a modest 53 out of 100, placing the country in the "Low" performance category. Within the country, there are significant variations across provinces, with Punjab emerging as the top performer at 61/100. KP follows with 55/100, while Sindh and Balochistan trail with scores of 51.5/100 and 46/100, respectively. Notably, none of the provinces reached the "High" or "Very High" performance categories, with both Punjab and KP falling into the "Medium" category. The Index also indicates significant disparities across the different domains of education system. Nationally, the highest score was achieved in the Infrastructure & Access domain (59/100), indicating progress in expanding educational opportunities. However, the report also notes that actual access figures might be higher, particularly in urban centers with a strong presence of private schools, which were not fully accounted for due to data limitations. The Inclusion (Equity & Technology) domain also scored relatively well. Conversely, Public Financing recorded the lowest score among all domains, underscoring the urgent need for increased and better-targeted public spending in education. The Learning domain also performed poorly, reflecting persistently low student outcomes. Governance & Management domain also remains in the "Low" category, affected mainly by teacher shortages and high bureaucratic turnover. The index highlights substantial differences not only between provinces but also within them, revealing the strengths and weaknesses in various aspects of their education systems. For example: Punjab outperforms other provinces in Infrastructure & Access (73) and Inclusion (75) but ranks lower in Public Financing and Governance & Management during the period of 2021-23. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leads in Public Financing and Governance & Management but lags behind in Learning outcomes. Sindh shows relative strength in Public Financing, where it ranks highest, but struggles in Infrastructure & Access and Governance & Management. Balochistan faces challenges across all domains, ranking lowest overall, with a slightly better performance in Learning. Alarmingly, none of the 134 districts assessed falls within the "Very High" performance category, and only Islamabad ranks in the "High" category, making it the best-performing district nationwide. Nearly two-fifths of the districts (58) are categorized as "Medium," with Punjab contributing 32 of these districts, followed by KP with 17, and Sindh with 8. However, more than half of Pakistan's districts (76) are classified as "Low" performers. These low-performing districts are predominantly found in Balochistan and Sindh, with Balochistan having 33 and Sindh 22, further highlighting the significant inter-provincial disparities in education. The report also uncovers stark disparities within provinces. KP exhibits the most significant intra-provincial differences, with districts like Haripur, Chitral, and Abbottabad among the top performers, while Kolai Palas, Upper Kohistan, and Lower Kohistan are among the lowest. Punjab and Balochistan show the least internal variation, with Punjab's districts generally falling into the "Medium" category and all of Balochistan's districts in the "Low" category. Sindh displays moderate variation, with most districts in the "Low" category, except for the urban districts of Karachi and Hyderabad. Commenting on the findings, the Federal Planning Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, acknowledged the progress Pakistan has made in human capital development but noted that the pace has been slower compared to other emerging economies and regional peers. "These findings serve as a sober reminder that much more needs to be done to improve education outcomes across the country. We are in Knowledge Revolution era in which intellectual capital of the nation determines its destiny. Pakistan’s education indicators are lagging behind other peer countries. Unless we achieve 90% literacy and universal primary enrolment, we can’t enter the development arena. It is important that through education we inculcate creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and team work skills to our children. Bringing 25 million out of school children into schools is a challenge that we are committed to meet. While the responsibility for delivering quality education primarily lies with the provincial governments, the Federal Government remains committed to providing thought leadership, as well as administrative and fiscal support to the provinces," he stated. The Minister emphasized the government's recognition of education as a cornerstone of socio-economic growth and an important component of 5Es National Economic Transformation Plan, underscored by the Prime Minister's declaration of a National Education Emergency. The DEPIx report serves as a crucial tool for identifying gaps and guiding policy interventions to ensure equitable and quality education across Pakistan.
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