Key Points
- Punjab alone accounts for 1–1.2m directly out of class
- Sindh, KP, and Balochistan report thousands of damaged schools
- Experts warn of long-term dropout risks without urgent action
ISLAMABAD: The moonson floods have disrupted education of more than three million children across Pakistan, according to government data and independent aid assessments, with Sind and Punjab accounting for the bulk of the total.
Figures shared by provincial education departments and aid groups indicate the widest disruption in Sindh, where Geo News quoted the Education Department as confirming that over 7,500 schools were damaged, forcing at least 1.5 million children out of class.
In Punjab, government figures show that floods have left nearly 3,000 schools unusable and forced another 1,700 to be turned into relief shelters, disrupting classes for an estimated 1–1.2 million students.”
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, provincial officials told the Express Tribune that 2,800 schools have been affected, disrupting the education of at least 600,000 students.
In Balochistan, UNICEF estimated that nearly 2,000 schools were either destroyed or converted into shelters, leaving more than 400,000 students without access to classrooms.
Out of the total 3,000 affected schools in Punjab, 1,151 are fully, 817 partially, and 45 destroyed — forcing at least 680,000 students out of class. In addition, more than 1,700 schools have been converted into flood relief shelters, further blocking academic activity and leaving an estimated 340,000 to 510,000 children without access to classrooms. Combined, this brings the number of directly affected students to around 1–1.2 million.
Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, as quoted by Dawn newspaper, told a meeting with UNICEF that the government was working on a three-month rehabilitation plan for damaged schools. He said students will be accommodated through three-shift systems in functioning schools, tent classrooms, and even by renting private buildings in heavily affected districts. He also announced fee waivers and extended scholarships for children in flood-hit areas.
Despite these measures, education experts say many students remain “unattended” in zones where no alternate schooling has yet been arranged. Aid agencies warn the disruption could have long-term effects if temporary learning facilities are not scaled up quickly.
Save the Children earlier estimated that as many as 25 million (or 96%) school-age children in Punjab may be affected in some form, whether through school closures, transport blockages, or displacement of families. Education campaigners told The Nation the government’s lower figure of 680,000 reflects only damaged school buildings, while millions more have seen their learning disrupted indirectly.
A realistic mid-point assessment suggests that while over 3 million children are fully displaced nationwide, several million more, face partial or irregular schooling, making this one of the largest education disruptions in Pakistan’s recent history.
Analysts warn that unless accelerated learning programmes and expanded temporary schooling are introduced, many children risk falling behind their current grade or dropping out entirely, especially at the primary level.
