Afghan Refugee Children in Pakistan Struggle to Access Education

DID Press: Thousands of Afghan refugee children in Pakistan are being deprived of formal education due to lack of identity documents and school registration papers, according to new reports.

Official figures show that only around 28 percent of Afghan refugee children in Pakistan are enrolled in public schools or education centers supported by the United Nations.

Many migrant families are unable to register their children in schools because they do not possess valid residency or identification documents.

In response, groups of Afghan teachers and education activists in cities such as Rawalpindi have established informal, self-run schools and community-based classes in mosques and local spaces.

However, limited financial resources and the lack of official recognition for issued certificates continue to pose major challenges to these initiatives.

Experts warn that if the situation persists, it could result in long-term educational deprivation and the loss of learning opportunities for an entire generation of Afghan refugee children.