Islamabad, October 3, 2024—In a significant step towards enhancing the country’s education system, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training today formally approved the “Public Financing in Education Report 2022-23.” This report, prepared by the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), provides an in-depth analysis of education financing over the last four years and highlights critical findings that signal urgent areas for reform.
Key findings from the Public Financing in Education Report 2022-23 show that public spending on education in Pakistan remains alarmingly low, with a decrease from 1.7% to 1.5% of GDP in the 2022-23 fiscal year, far below the international benchmark of 4% recommended by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report also underscores imbalances in budget allocation, with a dominant share of 88% going to recurring expenses such as salaries, leaving only 12% for the much-needed development of educational infrastructure.
The high-level meeting, chaired by Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani , Federal Secretary Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training (MoFE&PT) , included key stakeholders such as the Additional Secretary, Senior Joint Secretary, Dr. M Shahahid Soroya, DG PIE and members of the World Bank team. During the meeting, participants discussed the urgent need to address the underfunding of primary and secondary education, particularly in provinces like KP and Balochistan, and the overall lack of focus on non-formal education aimed at reducing the out-of-school children (OOSC) population, which currently stands at 26.2 million.
The report calls for a strategic increase in public education funding to at least 4% of GDP, emphasizing that a balanced approach between recurring and development expenditures is essential for modernizing the education sector. After a detailed review, the Secretary of Education expressed his commitment to aligning Pakistan’s education financing with international standards and praised the efforts of the PIE and other stakeholders in identifying key areas for reform.
This report serves as a roadmap for improving the efficiency of budget utilization, ensuring accountability, and fostering capacity-building efforts to optimize provincial education systems. The Ministry now plans to take concrete steps to implement these recommendations, marking an important milestone in the journey towards better education outcomes in Pakistan.
