Peshawar  -   In a city bustling with business activities and opportunities for skilled hands, Adil Shah (20) transformed his life through technical education after stepping into the auto repair market and becoming a skilled mechanic.

After leaving school post-matriculation due to financial hardships in 2020, the motivated Adil found his calling in the mechanics trade, supported by his uncle, Inamullah Khan, who guided him in mastering the art of car engine overhauling at the Pabbi auto repair market.

“I entered the auto repair market as an ordinary worker in 2020, and today I am proud to be known as ‘Ustad’ in my workshop,” Adil shared, surrounded by vehicle engines in various stages of repair.

His journey highlights a growing trend in Pakistan, where technical education is increasingly seen as a viable path to combating high rates of illiteracy and unemployment.

“Nothing is more crucial for Pakistan today than the promotion of technical education, which is vital for addressing unemployment and poverty,” said Professor Dr Naeem Khattak, former Chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar.

With a literacy rate of just 62.3 percent in Pakistan, where an estimated 60 million people remain illiterate, including around 22.8 million children aged 5-16 who are out of school due to various factors, including socioeconomic imbalances and poverty, he said the country needs innovative approaches to break down anti-education barriers.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, nearly 4.7 million children are out of school, including one million children in erstwhile Fata, which should be a matter of great concern for the government.

About 74.4 percent of girls and 38.5 percent of boys are out of school, mainly due to poverty and socioeconomic imbalances in KP, according to a report by BISP. As many as 77 percent of out-of-school children were reported in Palas Kolai, 70 percent in Upper Kohistan, 69 percent in Upper Kohistan, about 61 percent in Torghar, 55 percent in Shangla, 53 percent in Lakki Marwat, and 51 percent each in Tank and Battagram districts.

Similarly, about 66 percent of children are out of school in North Waziristan, 63 percent in Bajaur, 61 percent in South Waziristan, 51 percent each in Mohmand and Khyber, and 47 percent each in Kurram and Orakzai.

“The root causes of the educational problems stem from poverty and unemployment,” Dr Malik explained, adding that these factors not only limit access to education but also affect the social fabric of society.

Emphasising the need for special financial incentives for students in underserved districts, he said that improved educational infrastructure and a greater number of qualified teachers were imperative to achieve the set goals.

Wajid Ali Khan, former Education Minister, stated that the high dropout ratio in KP negates the claims of PTI leadership regarding an increase in children’s enrolment in schools and a uniform education policy.

He said that neither the promises of universal education were fulfilled nor the dual education system abolished in the province, adding that private schools continued to exploit millions of people in KP with a significant increase in tuition fees while the PTI leadership has turned a deaf ear to it.

“Under Article 25-A of the Constitution, the education sector has been devolved to provinces, and it is the responsibility of provincial governments to provide free and compulsory education to all children up to the matric level,” he said.

Wajid noted that poverty, socioeconomic imbalances, inadequate infrastructure, and teacher absenteeism, along with missing facilities like clean drinking water, boundary walls, and toilets in public sector schools in KP, have largely contributed to the increased student dropout ratio in the province.