Education for South Punjab

Badar ud Din Shahyar meeting with IG Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar on public service delivery

In South Punjab, Pakistan, youth face a constellation of educational challenges that deeply undermine their opportunities and long-term development. Many children in this region never make it into the classroom: the proportion of out-of-school youth is significantly higher in South Punjab than in other parts of the province, especially among girls. This reality reflects a severe deprivation of educational access that begins early in life. In primary and early childhood schooling, public-sector programs struggle due to systemic neglect: delays in policy implementation, a shortage of teachers trained specifically for early childhood education, and weak parental engagement rooted in poverty all compromise foundational learning.

Once enrolled, students confront major infrastructure deficits. According to research, many schools in South Punjab lack basic necessities such as clean drinking water, sanitation, proper classrooms, and furniture. These shortages are symptomatic of broader under-investment and resource constraints: teachers are overburdened, classrooms overcrowded, and extra duties—unrelated to teaching—further sap their capacity to deliver quality instruction. The combination of these failing conditions dissuades students from continuing their education, contributing to high dropout rates.

Quality of learning is compromised by the fact that many teachers are neither professionally trained in modern pedagogical methods nor supported with ongoing development. The curriculum often remains traditional, reliant on rote learning, limiting students’ critical thinking and creativity. In many schools, arts and creative subjects have been dropped altogether, because schools prioritize core subjects given limited staff. This not only curtails a well-rounded education, but also removes an outlet for students who might excel in nontraditional disciplines.

Another critical challenge lies in socio-economic and cultural barriers. Poverty is widespread in South Punjab, and many families face difficult trade-offs: sending a child to school may mean sacrificing household income or labor. Meanwhile, parental attitudes—shaped by limited education themselves—can be negative or indifferent, especially with respect to girls’ schooling. Feudal structures and traditional power hierarchies also continue to impede educational access, reinforcing inequality and limiting mobility for marginalized youth.

Climate risk and environmental vulnerability further exacerbate educational exclusion in the region. Flooding, especially in recent years, has damaged schools, displaced families, and disrupted schooling cycles. Temporary learning centers set up in flood-affected areas often lack basic infrastructure such as insulation or separate facilities for boys and girls, making attendance culturally unpalatable for many, especially girls. The constant rebuilding due to climate shocks undermines trust in education: when communities constantly feel insecurity about school continuity, many children never return.

Even when youth manage to stay in school, they often lack exposure to vital co-curricular learning opportunities. Official reports note very limited participation in extracurricular activities, curtailing their holistic development. On top of that, the region’s marginalization means there are fewer vocational or technical training institutes to facilitate youth skill development. As a result, many young people leave school ill-prepared for the job market, often entering the informal economy without marketable skills. This dynamic reinforces cycles of poverty and exclusion.

Moreover, the funding gap for schools in South Punjab is persistent and structural. While there have been recent commitments—such as the Punjab government’s proposal of increased budget to upgrade thousands of schools, improving toilets, classrooms, and clean water — the scale and long-term consistency of investment remain uncertain. Without sustained political will, short-term injections may not correct deeply rooted systemic failures.

Taken together, these challenges form a deeply entrenched policy problem. The lack of access, poor quality, infrastructural deficits, socio-cultural barriers, environmental vulnerability, and limited pathways to further education or skills development not only deny youth in South Punjab their full potential, but also weaken the larger social and economic fabric of the region. If unaddressed, this crisis threatens to entrench inequality, stagnate social mobility, and perpetuate cycles of poverty.

Addressing these issues will require a multifaceted strategy: one that combines long-term investment in infrastructure, focused teacher training, climate-resilient school design, community engagement to shift social norms, and the creation of vocational pathways for youth. Only by confronting all these interlinked challenges can policy-makers hope to deliver equitable and meaningful educational opportunities to the young people of South Punjab—and in doing so, unlock the region’s latent human potential.

Badar ud Din Shahyar meeting with IG Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar on public service delivery

In South Punjab, Pakistan, youth face a constellation of educational challenges that deeply undermine their opportunities and long-term development. Many children in this region never make it into the classroom: the proportion of out-of-school youth is significantly higher in South Punjab than in other parts of the province, especially among girls. This reality reflects a severe deprivation of educational access that begins early in life. In primary and early childhood schooling, public-sector programs struggle due to systemic neglect: delays in policy implementation, a shortage of teachers trained specifically for early childhood education, and weak parental engagement rooted in poverty all compromise foundational learning.

Once enrolled, students confront major infrastructure deficits. According to research, many schools in South Punjab lack basic necessities such as clean drinking water, sanitation, proper classrooms, and furniture. These shortages are symptomatic of broader under-investment and resource constraints: teachers are overburdened, classrooms overcrowded, and extra duties—unrelated to teaching—further sap their capacity to deliver quality instruction. The combination of these failing conditions dissuades students from continuing their education, contributing to high dropout rates.

Quality of learning is compromised by the fact that many teachers are neither professionally trained in modern pedagogical methods nor supported with ongoing development. The curriculum often remains traditional, reliant on rote learning, limiting students’ critical thinking and creativity. In many schools, arts and creative subjects have been dropped altogether, because schools prioritize core subjects given limited staff. This not only curtails a well-rounded education, but also removes an outlet for students who might excel in nontraditional disciplines.

Another critical challenge lies in socio-economic and cultural barriers. Poverty is widespread in South Punjab, and many families face difficult trade-offs: sending a child to school may mean sacrificing household income or labor. Meanwhile, parental attitudes—shaped by limited education themselves—can be negative or indifferent, especially with respect to girls’ schooling. Feudal structures and traditional power hierarchies also continue to impede educational access, reinforcing inequality and limiting mobility for marginalized youth.

Climate risk and environmental vulnerability further exacerbate educational exclusion in the region. Flooding, especially in recent years, has damaged schools, displaced families, and disrupted schooling cycles. Temporary learning centers set up in flood-affected areas often lack basic infrastructure such as insulation or separate facilities for boys and girls, making attendance culturally unpalatable for many, especially girls. The constant rebuilding due to climate shocks undermines trust in education: when communities constantly feel insecurity about school continuity, many children never return.

Even when youth manage to stay in school, they often lack exposure to vital co-curricular learning opportunities. Official reports note very limited participation in extracurricular activities, curtailing their holistic development. On top of that, the region’s marginalization means there are fewer vocational or technical training institutes to facilitate youth skill development. As a result, many young people leave school ill-prepared for the job market, often entering the informal economy without marketable skills. This dynamic reinforces cycles of poverty and exclusion.

Moreover, the funding gap for schools in South Punjab is persistent and structural. While there have been recent commitments—such as the Punjab government’s proposal of increased budget to upgrade thousands of schools, improving toilets, classrooms, and clean water — the scale and long-term consistency of investment remain uncertain. Without sustained political will, short-term injections may not correct deeply rooted systemic failures.

Taken together, these challenges form a deeply entrenched policy problem. The lack of access, poor quality, infrastructural deficits, socio-cultural barriers, environmental vulnerability, and limited pathways to further education or skills development not only deny youth in South Punjab their full potential, but also weaken the larger social and economic fabric of the region. If unaddressed, this crisis threatens to entrench inequality, stagnate social mobility, and perpetuate cycles of poverty.

Addressing these issues will require a multifaceted strategy: one that combines long-term investment in infrastructure, focused teacher training, climate-resilient school design, community engagement to shift social norms, and the creation of vocational pathways for youth. Only by confronting all these interlinked challenges can policy-makers hope to deliver equitable and meaningful educational opportunities to the young people of South Punjab—and in doing so, unlock the region’s latent human potential.

Badar ud Din Shahyar meeting with IG Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar on public service delivery

In South Punjab, Pakistan, youth face a constellation of educational challenges that deeply undermine their opportunities and long-term development. Many children in this region never make it into the classroom: the proportion of out-of-school youth is significantly higher in South Punjab than in other parts of the province, especially among girls. This reality reflects a severe deprivation of educational access that begins early in life. In primary and early childhood schooling, public-sector programs struggle due to systemic neglect: delays in policy implementation, a shortage of teachers trained specifically for early childhood education, and weak parental engagement rooted in poverty all compromise foundational learning.

Once enrolled, students confront major infrastructure deficits. According to research, many schools in South Punjab lack basic necessities such as clean drinking water, sanitation, proper classrooms, and furniture. These shortages are symptomatic of broader under-investment and resource constraints: teachers are overburdened, classrooms overcrowded, and extra duties—unrelated to teaching—further sap their capacity to deliver quality instruction. The combination of these failing conditions dissuades students from continuing their education, contributing to high dropout rates.

Quality of learning is compromised by the fact that many teachers are neither professionally trained in modern pedagogical methods nor supported with ongoing development. The curriculum often remains traditional, reliant on rote learning, limiting students’ critical thinking and creativity. In many schools, arts and creative subjects have been dropped altogether, because schools prioritize core subjects given limited staff. This not only curtails a well-rounded education, but also removes an outlet for students who might excel in nontraditional disciplines.

Another critical challenge lies in socio-economic and cultural barriers. Poverty is widespread in South Punjab, and many families face difficult trade-offs: sending a child to school may mean sacrificing household income or labor. Meanwhile, parental attitudes—shaped by limited education themselves—can be negative or indifferent, especially with respect to girls’ schooling. Feudal structures and traditional power hierarchies also continue to impede educational access, reinforcing inequality and limiting mobility for marginalized youth.

Climate risk and environmental vulnerability further exacerbate educational exclusion in the region. Flooding, especially in recent years, has damaged schools, displaced families, and disrupted schooling cycles. Temporary learning centers set up in flood-affected areas often lack basic infrastructure such as insulation or separate facilities for boys and girls, making attendance culturally unpalatable for many, especially girls. The constant rebuilding due to climate shocks undermines trust in education: when communities constantly feel insecurity about school continuity, many children never return.

Even when youth manage to stay in school, they often lack exposure to vital co-curricular learning opportunities. Official reports note very limited participation in extracurricular activities, curtailing their holistic development. On top of that, the region’s marginalization means there are fewer vocational or technical training institutes to facilitate youth skill development. As a result, many young people leave school ill-prepared for the job market, often entering the informal economy without marketable skills. This dynamic reinforces cycles of poverty and exclusion.

Moreover, the funding gap for schools in South Punjab is persistent and structural. While there have been recent commitments—such as the Punjab government’s proposal of increased budget to upgrade thousands of schools, improving toilets, classrooms, and clean water — the scale and long-term consistency of investment remain uncertain. Without sustained political will, short-term injections may not correct deeply rooted systemic failures.

Taken together, these challenges form a deeply entrenched policy problem. The lack of access, poor quality, infrastructural deficits, socio-cultural barriers, environmental vulnerability, and limited pathways to further education or skills development not only deny youth in South Punjab their full potential, but also weaken the larger social and economic fabric of the region. If unaddressed, this crisis threatens to entrench inequality, stagnate social mobility, and perpetuate cycles of poverty.

Addressing these issues will require a multifaceted strategy: one that combines long-term investment in infrastructure, focused teacher training, climate-resilient school design, community engagement to shift social norms, and the creation of vocational pathways for youth. Only by confronting all these interlinked challenges can policy-makers hope to deliver equitable and meaningful educational opportunities to the young people of South Punjab—and in doing so, unlock the region’s latent human potential.

Badar ud Din Shahyar meeting with IG Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar on public service delivery

In South Punjab, Pakistan, youth face a constellation of educational challenges that deeply undermine their opportunities and long-term development. Many children in this region never make it into the classroom: the proportion of out-of-school youth is significantly higher in South Punjab than in other parts of the province, especially among girls. This reality reflects a severe deprivation of educational access that begins early in life. In primary and early childhood schooling, public-sector programs struggle due to systemic neglect: delays in policy implementation, a shortage of teachers trained specifically for early childhood education, and weak parental engagement rooted in poverty all compromise foundational learning.

Once enrolled, students confront major infrastructure deficits. According to research, many schools in South Punjab lack basic necessities such as clean drinking water, sanitation, proper classrooms, and furniture. These shortages are symptomatic of broader under-investment and resource constraints: teachers are overburdened, classrooms overcrowded, and extra duties—unrelated to teaching—further sap their capacity to deliver quality instruction. The combination of these failing conditions dissuades students from continuing their education, contributing to high dropout rates.

Quality of learning is compromised by the fact that many teachers are neither professionally trained in modern pedagogical methods nor supported with ongoing development. The curriculum often remains traditional, reliant on rote learning, limiting students’ critical thinking and creativity. In many schools, arts and creative subjects have been dropped altogether, because schools prioritize core subjects given limited staff. This not only curtails a well-rounded education, but also removes an outlet for students who might excel in nontraditional disciplines.

Another critical challenge lies in socio-economic and cultural barriers. Poverty is widespread in South Punjab, and many families face difficult trade-offs: sending a child to school may mean sacrificing household income or labor. Meanwhile, parental attitudes—shaped by limited education themselves—can be negative or indifferent, especially with respect to girls’ schooling. Feudal structures and traditional power hierarchies also continue to impede educational access, reinforcing inequality and limiting mobility for marginalized youth.

Climate risk and environmental vulnerability further exacerbate educational exclusion in the region. Flooding, especially in recent years, has damaged schools, displaced families, and disrupted schooling cycles. Temporary learning centers set up in flood-affected areas often lack basic infrastructure such as insulation or separate facilities for boys and girls, making attendance culturally unpalatable for many, especially girls. The constant rebuilding due to climate shocks undermines trust in education: when communities constantly feel insecurity about school continuity, many children never return.

Even when youth manage to stay in school, they often lack exposure to vital co-curricular learning opportunities. Official reports note very limited participation in extracurricular activities, curtailing their holistic development. On top of that, the region’s marginalization means there are fewer vocational or technical training institutes to facilitate youth skill development. As a result, many young people leave school ill-prepared for the job market, often entering the informal economy without marketable skills. This dynamic reinforces cycles of poverty and exclusion.

Moreover, the funding gap for schools in South Punjab is persistent and structural. While there have been recent commitments—such as the Punjab government’s proposal of increased budget to upgrade thousands of schools, improving toilets, classrooms, and clean water — the scale and long-term consistency of investment remain uncertain. Without sustained political will, short-term injections may not correct deeply rooted systemic failures.

Taken together, these challenges form a deeply entrenched policy problem. The lack of access, poor quality, infrastructural deficits, socio-cultural barriers, environmental vulnerability, and limited pathways to further education or skills development not only deny youth in South Punjab their full potential, but also weaken the larger social and economic fabric of the region. If unaddressed, this crisis threatens to entrench inequality, stagnate social mobility, and perpetuate cycles of poverty.

Addressing these issues will require a multifaceted strategy: one that combines long-term investment in infrastructure, focused teacher training, climate-resilient school design, community engagement to shift social norms, and the creation of vocational pathways for youth. Only by confronting all these interlinked challenges can policy-makers hope to deliver equitable and meaningful educational opportunities to the young people of South Punjab—and in doing so, unlock the region’s latent human potential.

Badar ud Din Shahyar meeting with IG Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar on public service delivery

In South Punjab, Pakistan, youth face a constellation of educational challenges that deeply undermine their opportunities and long-term development. Many children in this region never make it into the classroom: the proportion of out-of-school youth is significantly higher in South Punjab than in other parts of the province, especially among girls. This reality reflects a severe deprivation of educational access that begins early in life. In primary and early childhood schooling, public-sector programs struggle due to systemic neglect: delays in policy implementation, a shortage of teachers trained specifically for early childhood education, and weak parental engagement rooted in poverty all compromise foundational learning.

Once enrolled, students confront major infrastructure deficits. According to research, many schools in South Punjab lack basic necessities such as clean drinking water, sanitation, proper classrooms, and furniture. These shortages are symptomatic of broader under-investment and resource constraints: teachers are overburdened, classrooms overcrowded, and extra duties—unrelated to teaching—further sap their capacity to deliver quality instruction. The combination of these failing conditions dissuades students from continuing their education, contributing to high dropout rates.

Quality of learning is compromised by the fact that many teachers are neither professionally trained in modern pedagogical methods nor supported with ongoing development. The curriculum often remains traditional, reliant on rote learning, limiting students’ critical thinking and creativity. In many schools, arts and creative subjects have been dropped altogether, because schools prioritize core subjects given limited staff. This not only curtails a well-rounded education, but also removes an outlet for students who might excel in nontraditional disciplines.

Another critical challenge lies in socio-economic and cultural barriers. Poverty is widespread in South Punjab, and many families face difficult trade-offs: sending a child to school may mean sacrificing household income or labor. Meanwhile, parental attitudes—shaped by limited education themselves—can be negative or indifferent, especially with respect to girls’ schooling. Feudal structures and traditional power hierarchies also continue to impede educational access, reinforcing inequality and limiting mobility for marginalized youth.

Climate risk and environmental vulnerability further exacerbate educational exclusion in the region. Flooding, especially in recent years, has damaged schools, displaced families, and disrupted schooling cycles. Temporary learning centers set up in flood-affected areas often lack basic infrastructure such as insulation or separate facilities for boys and girls, making attendance culturally unpalatable for many, especially girls. The constant rebuilding due to climate shocks undermines trust in education: when communities constantly feel insecurity about school continuity, many children never return.

Even when youth manage to stay in school, they often lack exposure to vital co-curricular learning opportunities. Official reports note very limited participation in extracurricular activities, curtailing their holistic development. On top of that, the region’s marginalization means there are fewer vocational or technical training institutes to facilitate youth skill development. As a result, many young people leave school ill-prepared for the job market, often entering the informal economy without marketable skills. This dynamic reinforces cycles of poverty and exclusion.

Moreover, the funding gap for schools in South Punjab is persistent and structural. While there have been recent commitments—such as the Punjab government’s proposal of increased budget to upgrade thousands of schools, improving toilets, classrooms, and clean water — the scale and long-term consistency of investment remain uncertain. Without sustained political will, short-term injections may not correct deeply rooted systemic failures.

Taken together, these challenges form a deeply entrenched policy problem. The lack of access, poor quality, infrastructural deficits, socio-cultural barriers, environmental vulnerability, and limited pathways to further education or skills development not only deny youth in South Punjab their full potential, but also weaken the larger social and economic fabric of the region. If unaddressed, this crisis threatens to entrench inequality, stagnate social mobility, and perpetuate cycles of poverty.

Addressing these issues will require a multifaceted strategy: one that combines long-term investment in infrastructure, focused teacher training, climate-resilient school design, community engagement to shift social norms, and the creation of vocational pathways for youth. Only by confronting all these interlinked challenges can policy-makers hope to deliver equitable and meaningful educational opportunities to the young people of South Punjab—and in doing so, unlock the region’s latent human potential.

Badar ud Din Shahyar belongs from Gujranwala. He is a philanthropist and has volunteered in the past. Congratulations to shehyar as he is inducted in the 2025 Punjab PMS Office as the Assistant Commisioner.