When it comes to national priorities, education should always be at the top of the list. After all, a country’s future depends on the quality of education it provides to its children. In Pakistan, though, conversations around the Pakistan Education Budget often leave people with more questions than answers. Where does all that money go, and why do schools in many areas still lack the basics
At Taleem Foundation, we believe understanding how the Pakistan Education Budget is planned and spent is crucial. It’s the first step in making sure that every child in every corner of Pakistan gets access to safe quality education.
📖 How Big Is the Pakistan Education Budget
Each year the government allocates a portion of its total national budget to education. In 2025 Pakistan has earmarked roughly 1.7 to 2 percent of its GDP for education. This is noticeably lower compared to neighboring countries like India or Bangladesh and much lower than the global average recommended by UNESCO which is around 4 to 6 percent.
While the total figure sounds impressive when announced, the reality is that the Pakistan Education Budget is still not enough to meet the needs of over 25 million out-of-school children and the thousands of underfunded schools, colleges, and universities across the country.
📊 Where Does the Money Actually Go
When people hear about billions being allocated to education, they often assume it means new schools, better books, and well-trained teachers. While some of the Pakistan Education Budget does go to these areas, a significant chunk is spent elsewhere. Here’s a breakdown of where most of the budget typically goes:
- Salaries of teachers and administrative staff: This takes up the largest share, often leaving very little for infrastructure or new learning programs
- Development Projects: These include building new schools, upgrading old ones, and purchasing new equipment, but delays and underutilization of funds are common
- Higher Education Grants: A portion is given to universities and research institutions, though this often benefits urban areas more than rural regions
- Textbooks and Learning Resources: Government schools are supposed to provide free books, but distribution is still uneven in many districts
- Scholarship Programs: While helpful, these are still limited and don’t reach many of the children most in need
Sadly, a lot of the Pakistan Education Budget gets tied up in bureaucratic administrative costs and delayed projects, leaving little visible improvement at the ground level.
🏫 Why the Budget Still Falls Short
Even with millions allocated each year, the Pakistan Education Budget struggles to create a real impact. One of the reasons is the low overall percentage of GDP dedicated to education. Another issue is the uneven distribution of funds, with urban centers getting more support while remote and rural areas are left behind.
Corruption and inefficient project management also mean that allocated funds often remain unused or are spent on less urgent priorities.
At Taleem Foundation, we’ve seen firsthand how the lack of proper funding affects students in remote communities. Many schools still lack basic facilities like clean drinking water, functional toilets, and safe classrooms. Without addressing these gaps, no budget — no matter how large — can deliver meaningful results.
🌱 How Taleem Foundation Is Filling the Gaps
In response to these challenges, Taleem Foundation is working to create sustainable community-based education models that don’t rely solely on the Pakistan Education Budget. Through partnerships with private donor development agencies and local communities, we’ve been able to build schools, run digital classrooms, and train teachers in some of the most neglected areas of Pakistan.
Our programs focus on holistic education providing not just academic lessons but also life skills career guidance and health awareness. By showing what’s possible with smart spending and community involvement we hope to inspire improvements in how the Pakistan Education Budget is planned and utilized in the future.
📌 Final Thoughts
Understanding where the Pakistan Education Budget goes is the first step towards fixing a broken system. While the government has a responsibility to increase and better manage these funds civil society organizations private donors and ordinary citizens also have a role to play.
At Taleem Foundation we believe every child in Pakistan deserves a fair chance at education. Until the day when public education is fully funded and accessible to all, we’ll continue to work for that dream — one school one classroom and one student at a time.
If you’d like to learn more about our work or support our education projects visit our website or reach out to our team.
