Broken school system

THE latest ASER Pakistan 2025 report, prepared by the Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi and analyzed in collaboration with Gallup Pakistan, paints a deeply concerning picture of the state of public education in the country. While access to schooling has improved in numerical terms, the quality of infrastructure in government schools continues to lag far behind private institutions across nearly every key indicator. From electricity to clean drinking water, sanitation and digital access, the gaps are not minor, they are structural. Nearly one third of government schools still function without electricity, while basic facilities such as toilets and safe drinking water remain unavailable in a significant share of public institutions. In an age where education is increasingly dependent on technology and connectivity, it is alarming that computer labs, science labs and functional libraries exist in only a small fraction of government schools. The absence of these basic learning tools reduces education to rote memorisation rather than meaningful skill development. These disparities do not exist in isolation; they directly shape parental choices. Faced with inadequate facilities in public schools, parents are increasingly compelled to turn to private schools despite their high and often burdensome fees. For many families, this is not a matter of preference but of necessity. They are effectively forced to stretch already limited household budgets in order to secure what should have been a basic public good: quality education for their children. This situation also raises a legitimate public grievance. When government schools fail to meet even basic infrastructure standards, trust in public institutions is eroded. The burden then shifts unfairly onto households, deepening inequality and social division.It is imperative that both federal and provincial governments treat this issue as a national priority. Incremental improvements are not enough; what is required is a sustained and targe