In the remote corners of Pakistan, there exist schools with blackboards covered with years-old scribbles, no teachers in sight, and barely any students. The empty classrooms reflect a system that is meant to educate future generations but seems to be failing spectacularly. In a country where millions of children yearn for an education, thousands of schools exist only in name. The “ghost schools” of Pakistan serve as symbols of corruption and mismanagement.
A “ghost school,” as defined by Professor Anita Ghulam Ali (former Sindh Education Minister and head of Sindh Education Foundation), is “a school which is not there, it never was built, and they said, ‘oh we’ve built the school’ and there’s no school there.” The ghost schools are also those that, because of no teachers and thus no education, have been closed or have ceased to exist.
In 2015, the Asian Human Rights Commission published an article exposing over 5229 ghost schools and about 40,000 ghost teachers in rural areas of Pakistan. This is despite a staggering allocation of Rs. 145.02 billion budget for education. Another report uncovered that while 4,540 government schools exist on paper, they have not been operational for years. On the other hand, 2181 schools were found to exist only in name. A report in 2022, revealed an alarming total of 30,000 ghost schools across Pakistan, leaving about 22.4 million children deprived of education; this number continued to rise in the following years.
The COVID outbreak further exacerbated the situation. Where many private institutions adopted the means and methods of online teaching, other institutions in remote areas could not continue their education, as the students hardly had any access to smartphones, let alone computers, laptops, or even a stable internet connection. The rural areas of Pakistan which comprise around 55% of the nation’s population, had less than 8% of the internet access—a statement delivered by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, in 2018. A 2024 Dawn report solidified this digital divide, noting that the technological advancement of the country’s bourgeoisie is 15-fold greater than that of the poorest quintile. The report further highlights that because of inadequate digital infrastructure and affordability challenges, half of Pakistan’s population has no access to the internet.
Pakistan’s literacy rate, which was at 59.13% in 2022, has now risen slightly to 62.3% in 2024. The National Lead Agency for Literacy (NCHD), has played a significant role in improving and promoting literacy for the past 17 years and has made several progressive changes in the country. However, the overall situation remains bleak for Pakistan’s future. In Sindh alone, 7000 ghost schools are reported. Many others are reported in Karachi; a comparatively developed area of Pakistan. Balochistan, with the highest percentage of out-of-school children at 65%, accounted for 26.21 million out-of-school children nationwide as of 2022.
Competent organizations including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), are encouraged by the government’s policies, to adopt these “ghost schools” to revitalize them and ensure the excellence of education amongst students. Over the years, many such schools have been adopted and are reportedly doing well. Still, a large number of these schools remain abandoned.
The US House of Representatives was also noticed to have passed a military and civilian aid package to Pakistan for better education. Since 2010, USAID has partnered with the Government of Pakistan (GOP) to enhance access to quality education. However, money alone isn’t enough to thoroughly address the root of the problem. There must be a professional and rigorous system to manage, monitor, and evaluate the schools’ performances on a weekly and monthly basis.
A shocking revelation came to light when the teachers and administrators reported the presence of drug addicts in a primary school within the Mirza Adam Khan compound.
“Government schools in Lyari are like this…it is all about bread and water for the politicians.”
– Haji Noon Baloch, communal leader
The absence of students especially in summers is another undermining factor stemming from mismanagement and neglect of government for such schools. No fans, water, and dismantled washrooms make it highly undesirable for the students to attend the classes. In one such visit to a ghost school, a ninth-grader was interrogated about the absence of his classmates, to which he replied, “Most of the students haven’t been coming because there are no fans and it’s been hot.” He further added, “When the children come they go into the washroom and there’s no water.”
Many teachers quit or take frequent and extended leaves from the schools because of the same reasons, and are thus termed “ghost teachers,” considering that they are on the payroll but rarely show up. Whether the cause of absenteeism is the unbearable environment or deeper issues of corruption, it points to the systemic decay within the educational system. The National Education Policy of 2009 acknowledged this issue, however, the measures to address it have remained frail.
Another factor contributing to the rise of ghost schools is the long-standing conflict between the Pakistani state and militant groups like the Taliban. The roots of this issue are largely tied to the Taliban’s ideological stance on education, which opposes the conventional education system, particularly schools for girls and those that teach curricula seen as un-Islamic. Many schools have been attacked by them, with some reopening years later and others remaining permanently shut due to security concerns.
Parents in these regions often refuse to send their children to school out of fear for their safety. One such school, which was bombed by the Taliban in 2005, was later opened in 2011 but remained unfunctional. Ishtiaq Gul, the father of a girl from one such ghost school, says, “We know our children have no future without education, but there is no school for them.”
The Pakistani Government must take a proactive stance by ensuring that all educational funds are properly utilized and that schools are adequately monitored. This would require transparency, stricter oversight, and public involvement. Only then we could know that education in Pakistan is not compromised. The education system should be viewed as an investment in the country’s future, and a renewed focus should be implemented on improving infrastructure and teacher accountability. Without such reforms, Pakistan risks perpetuating cycles of missed opportunities for its youth.
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Saba Ikram is an English Literature graduate with a love for writing, learning, and exploration.