Islamabad, March 26 : As many as 14,343 of the 19,808 schools damaged during the disastrous 2022 floods in Pakistan's Sindh province are still awaiting restoration, local media has revealed citing official data. Around 2,268 schools were completely destroyed while 3,197 suffered partial damage during the devastating floods. So far, the government, working through provincial, federal and donor-funded programs, have started the reconstruction and rehabilitation work of 5,465 schools, implying that 14,343 schools are still waiting for restoration, according to a report in Pakistan's leading daily Pakistan Observer.

The report highlighted that Pakistan is already facing serious educational crisis as millions of children remain out of school due to social, economic and infrastructural challenges. The continuous delay in reconstructing flood-damaged schools in Sindh only deteriorates this situation, depriving thousands of children of their fundamental right to education.

"The fact that nearly four years have passed since the devastating floods, yet a large majority of schools remain in disrepair, is deeply concerning. The scale of reconstruction undertaken so far is far less than what the situation demands and this state of affairs cannot be ignored. Education is the foundation of any progressive society. Every day that a school remains non-functional is a day lost for the children who are already struggling to access basic learning opportunities. The Sindh government must urgently prioritize the completion of all damaged schools," Pakistan Observer stated.

Meanwhile, nearly 28 per cent of children in Pakistan, aged between 5-16 years, remain out of school. Quite alarmingly, girls are disproportionately impacted as 34 per cent of girls are not enrolled in schools in comparison to 22 per cent of boys, local media reported.

These disparities are more seen in rural regions of Pakistan, especially for girls, where exclusion for education is more, pointing to how gender and geography reduce educational access.

Two-thirds of Pakistanis aged 10 years and above have attended school at some point as access to education remains highly unequal in Pakistan, The Express Tribune recently reported citing the HIES survey by Gallup Pakistan.

Pakistan's national literacy rate stands at 63 per cent with male literacy at 73 per cent and female at 52 per cent.

According to the Express Tribune report, literacy in urban areas stands at 77 per cent compared to 56 per cent in rural areas. While 68 per cent of children are enrolled in primary school, the numbers reduce sharply at higher levels of education. Only 40 per cent study in middle school and around 30 per cent in matriculation.

This sharp drop in the number of students continuing education in schools highlights the challenges faced by them, especially in rural and underprivileged areas, pointing to structural barriers such as safety concerns, school distance, and rising opportunity costs like children age, especially pronounced for rural girls.

According to the report, financial pressure, domestic responsibilities and limited post-primary schooling options contribute to children not continuing education in schools. These challenges further increase for girls due to social expectations and early marriage.

/IANS