Summary Economic Survey 2025-26 reveals worsening infrastructure in public schools, with shortages of electricity, toilets, drinking water, and boundary walls.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Pakistan’s public education sector continues to struggle with basic infrastructure shortages, with the Economic Survey 2025-26 highlighting alarming gaps in essential facilities across government schools.
According to the survey, 35 percent of public schools across the country still lack electricity, while only 65 percent have access to power. The availability of electricity in government schools declined by two percentage points compared to the previous year.
The situation is particularly concerning in underdeveloped regions, where only 21 percent of public schools in Balochistan and 32 percent in Sindh have access to electricity.
The survey also showed limited access to sanitation facilities. Around 23 percent of public schools do not have toilets, marking a further decline from last year’s figures.
Balochistan recorded the worst performance in this category, with toilet facilities available in only a tiny fraction of government schools, reflecting severe deficiencies in basic educational infrastructure.
Access to clean drinking water has also remained stagnant, with 76 percent of public schools having drinking water facilities, while nearly one in four schools still lacks access to safe water.
Meanwhile, the condition of school security and boundary infrastructure has deteriorated further. The survey found that 25 percent of public schools do not have boundary walls. Availability of boundary walls fell from 79 percent last year to 75 percent during the current fiscal year.
The findings underscore persistent challenges in Pakistan’s public education system despite repeated commitments to improve school infrastructure and learning conditions.
