Punjab will need Rs135 billion to reach a 90 percent literacy rate by 2035 as it faces a large population of out-of-school children and adult illiterates, according to data shared by the Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Department.
The department said Punjab currently has 9.6 million out-of-school children and 26.8 million illiterate adults.
It noted that most out-of-school children fall in the 8 to 16 age group, which the formal education system cannot easily absorb. Officials said the non-formal sector remains the only scalable and flexible option for reaching this overage population.
The figures were shared on International Literacy Day. According to the department, adult literacy centres provide short-cycle, community-based learning opportunities for people aged 16 and above.
The department said it has established 20,273 non-formal schools across Punjab, giving access to more than 593,000 children. It has also set up 1,260 adult literacy centres in all 36 districts.
Officials said the department now reaches more than 800,000 targeted learners across central, north and south Punjab.
LNFBED Director General Asim Javed said the department has designed a comprehensive strategy to make the illiterate population literate. He said the required funds will support the expansion of non-formal schools, teacher training, learning materials and new adult literacy centres.
He said the department’s accelerated learning model allows elementary education to be completed in 18 months, compared with 36 months in the formal system. Adult literacy can be achieved in six months through the centres.
Javed said the system also links education with skills and livelihoods, with 13 market-oriented technical trades already introduced alongside sector-based interventions in agriculture, health and mining.
Dr Irshad Baig, director of monitoring and assessment at the department, said the agency is closely monitoring 6.8 million children enrolled in literacy schools to ensure quality education. He said real-time monitoring and ICT-based performance systems are helping improve accountability and transparency.
He added that primary graduates have increased from 12,055 in 2019 to more than 29,000 annually, while 470 schools have been upgraded to the elementary level.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also marked International Literacy Day by paying tribute to those promoting education. In her message, she said literacy is a right that must be fulfilled for every citizen and stressed the importance of digital literacy for the younger generation.
The department held a special ceremony to highlight the literacy challenge and the need to bring out-of-school children into mainstream education. UNICEF and JICA representatives also attended the event.
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