The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Education Department is facing challenges in reaching its student enrollment goals for government schools, prompting an extension of the current school admission campaign until May 31.
Sources within the department revealed that the campaign has yet to meet the province-wide target set by the Education Minister, which aimed to enroll one million children.
In light of this, the Director of Education has directed all male and female District Education Officers (DEOs) to ramp up their efforts in the remaining days of the campaign to help meet the revised deadline.
Officials stress that the purpose of the extension is to ensure the highest possible number of children are enrolled in schools and to reduce the number of those who remain outside the formal education system.
Back in April, a high-level review meeting on the School Enrollment Campaign 2025 was chaired by Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah.
During the session, a detailed briefing was provided on the province’s out-of-school children and the strategies being put in place to bring them into classrooms.
Participants were informed that around 4.9 million children across the province are still not attending school, while approximately 9 million are currently enrolled.
The Special Secretary for Education informed attendees that DEOs are focusing on areas where large numbers of children remain unenrolled.
To make the campaign more effective, community involvement is being prioritized. A wide-reaching door-to-door enrollment effort is in progress, with schoolteachers and respected local figures actively participating.
Moreover, the campaign is gaining support from elected local officials, young volunteers, community elders, and religious leaders, who are all playing a role in encouraging families to send their children to school.