Access, Quality, and Equity in Education in Pakistan: An SDG-4 Analysis.

Abstract

Education is central to sustainable development, yet many developing countries continue to struggle in translating global commitments into meaningful educational outcomes. This study examines Pakistan’s progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4) by systematically analyzing the interlinked dimensions of access, quality, and equity in education over the period 2015–2025. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research draws on secondary data from national and international sources, including UNESCO-UIS, the Pakistan Institute of Education, UNICEF, ASER Pakistan, Pakistan economic survey and government education statistics. The findings reveal that while Pakistan has achieved modest gains in school enrollment, particularly at the primary level, these advances have not translated into universal access. An estimated 22–26 million children remain out of school, with exclusion disproportionately affecting girls, rural populations, conflict-affected regions, urban slums, refugees and children with disabilities. The study further finds that learning outcomes remain critically low, with widespread learning poverty, weak foundational literacy and numeracy skills, and limited curriculum relevance, despite improvements in teacher certification. Equity emerges as the most neglected pillar of SDG-4 implementation, reflected in persistent gender gaps, pronounced regional disparities, and the systematic marginalization of vulnerable groups. The analysis also highlights structural constraints undermining SDG-4 progress, including prolonged less investment in education, fragmented governance following decentralization, weak accountability mechanisms. Overall, the study concludes that Pakistan remains off-track to achieve SDG-4 by 2030 unless policy priorities shift from enrollment-centric approaches toward learning-focused, equity-driven, and adequately financed reforms.