In a time when conflicts are not only driven by arms but also by the availability of information and opportunity, education has become an issue with international security implications. For Pakistan, a country with over 23 million out-of-school children—the second-largest such number in the world—the education crisis is not just a national concern. It’s an international imperative.
At Taleem Foundation, we have always understood that education is not only a human right—it is a pillar of peace, development, and stability. The crisis in Pakistan’s education system is already sending shockwaves far beyond its own borders.
The Scope of the Crisis
Despite numerous reforms and attempts at international aid, Pakistan still has to struggle with:
- Over 40% of 5–16-year-olds are out of school
- Female literacy levels are as low as 46% in rural areas
- Millions of conflict or disaster-affected children with minimal or no access to school
- Serious teacher shortages and poor training
- Curricula that are outdated and missing critical thinking and civic education
According to UNESCO, if current trends hold, Pakistan will miss its education-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Why the World Should Care
1. Education and Extremism
Lack of education makes vulnerable populations, mostly the youth, vulnerable to extremist ideologies and radicalization. Where children are excluded from schools, extremist groups come in to bridge the gap through alternative education that propagates hate and violence.
As ex-U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis averred:
“If you don’t fund education, you’ll need to fund more ammunition.”
2. Regional Stability
Pakistan is surrounded by key geopolitical players: India, Afghanistan, Iran, and China. Regional stability and regional cooperation depend on a stable and educated citizenry capable of participating in democratic governance and cross-border cooperation.
A feeble education infrastructure collapses state institutions and civil society, and exposes the region to instability and cross-border conflict.
3. Mass Migration and Brain Drain
A poorly educated population also has higher rates of unemployment and poverty, which forces citizens to emigrate—legally or otherwise. Not only does this clog other countries’ economies and resources, but it also leads to brain drain, depriving Pakistan of its best brains.
4. Education as a Soft Power Tool
Pakistan’s allies and the international community as a whole have to accept education as a soft power tool. Investment in Pakistan’s schools is investment in a more secure South Asia and a more secure world.
Foreign aid programs targeting basic literacy, computer education, girls’ schooling, and teacher training have shown tangible dividends. More, however, needs to be done—and soon.
At Taleem Foundation, our strategy integrates community outreach, digital learning, and gender equity to develop sustainable, replicable solutions in the country’s most under-resourced regions, like Balochistan.
Local Issues with Global Impacts
This is the way that Pakistan’s education crisis directly affects global security:
- Educational Gap: Security Implications
- Out-of-school youth: Radical group recruitment gets a boost
- Gender imbalance in schools: Limits women’s participation in peace-building and governance
- Poor education infrastructure: Destabilizes public institutions and fuels corruption, low literacy, work migration pressure, and transnational insecurity
What Can Be Done—Now
It is not too late to reverse this crisis. But it will require collaborative effort from the government, civil society, and the international community. Priorities should include:
- Funding rural education with transparency and oversight
- Empowering female students with secure, accessible schools
- Leveraging technology for distance and conflict-zone learning
- Preparing teachers to deliver modern, critical-thinking-based education
- Public-private partnerships to guarantee long-term outcomes
The Taleem Foundation Approach
Taleem Foundation believes that education is the best agent of national revival and international harmony. With over three decades of service to underdeveloped regions, we are dedicated to:
- General education that includes life skills, mental health, and civic values
- Computer labs to bridge the rural-urban divide
- Empowering girls, minorities, and the disabled through mainstream education
- Community ownership to ensure sustainability and protection
Global Security Begins in the Classroom
The connection between education and security is undeniable. When a girl or boy in Balochistan or South Punjab is denied an education, the world loses a future doctor, engineer, inventor, or peacebuilder. Instead comes instability.
The world’s fight for peace starts with a world pledge to education, specifically in failed or failing states such as Pakistan.
✊ Call to Action
We are doing our part at Taleem Foundation. But we can’t do it alone. We urge:
- Policymakers to increase education budgets and make reform a priority.
- Donors around the world to supporting grassroots education initiatives.
- Corporate sponsors are to invest in the future workforce.
All citizens of the world to make a case for education as a human right — and a foundation of peace. Because in the end, an educated Pakistan is not just a national ideal. It’s an international necessity.
