Introduction
Education is often described as the backbone of a nation’s development. For Pakistan, however, this backbone has been shaken repeatedly by crises—whether natural disasters like floods or global emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. These events have tested the resilience of Pakistan’s education system, exposing weaknesses in infrastructure, access, and policy. The idea of education in emergencies is no longer an academic concept but a lived reality for millions of Pakistani students.
This blog explores how floods and the pandemic disrupted learning, the challenges students faced, and what lessons Pakistan must learn to prepare for future crises.
Pakistan’s Education System: Already Under Pressure
Even before disasters struck, Pakistan’s education sector faced major hurdles:
- Millions of children out of school, especially in rural and marginalized areas.
- Poor infrastructure, with schools lacking proper classrooms, electricity, and sanitation.
- Limited investment compared to regional countries.
- Unequal access between urban and rural students.
When crises like floods or pandemic education challenges emerged, they hit an already fragile system, making recovery even more difficult.
👉 Related: The Future of Education in Pakistan
Floods and Their Impact on Education
The annual flood in Pakistan not only destroys homes and crops but also shuts down hundreds of schools. Entire school buildings are washed away, while many others are converted into shelters for displaced families.
The impact includes:
- Loss of School Infrastructure – Classrooms, furniture, and teaching material destroyed.
- Interruption of Learning – Students miss weeks or months of studies.
- Dropouts – Many children, especially girls, never return to school once displaced.
- Psychological Stress – Students affected by natural disasters often struggle to focus on education.
For example, the 2022 floods in Pakistan were described as the worst in decades, affecting over 33 million people. According to UNICEF, nearly 2 million children saw their education disrupted.
👉 Related: Floods and Their Impact on Pakistan’s Economy
Pandemic Education: Lessons from COVID-19
If floods represent a local recurring crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic was a global shock. Schools across Pakistan shut down for months, pushing millions of students into digital learning. While wealthier families adapted with online classes, most children in rural and low-income households were left behind due to:
- Lack of internet access and digital devices.
- Untrained teachers unfamiliar with online platforms.
- Absence of localized learning solutions for rural areas.
This divide created what experts call learning poverty, where students lose years of progress in literacy and numeracy.
👉 Related: How Online Schools Are Changing Learning
Education in Emergencies: Why It Matters
The concept of education in emergencies emphasizes that learning cannot stop, even during disasters. Schools play a vital role beyond academics:
- They provide stability and routine for children.
- They offer psychosocial support after trauma.
- They act as platforms for health and social awareness during crises.
However, in Pakistan, emergency planning for education is often missing. Floods and pandemics revealed how little preparation exists to keep learning going during disruptions.
The Dual Burden: Floods & Pandemic Together
In recent years, Pakistan has faced overlapping crises. Families already hit by COVID-19 economic struggles were devastated by flood losses. For children, this meant:
- Loss of schools due to floods.
- Loss of alternative digital learning due to poverty.
- Rising child labor as families pushed kids into work instead of school.
This double burden shows that Pakistan needs a resilient education system capable of adapting to multiple emergencies.
What Needs to Change?
To protect Pakistan’s education during crises, reforms must focus on both immediate response and long-term resilience.
1. Strengthen School Infrastructure
Flood-resistant school buildings in vulnerable areas can prevent long-term closures.
2. Digital Learning for All
Affordable devices, better internet, and localized apps are needed to make pandemic education inclusive.
3. Teacher Training in Emergencies
Teachers must be trained to handle education in emergencies, including trauma-sensitive approaches.
4. Government & NGO Collaboration
Partnerships with education NGOs in Pakistan can help rebuild schools, train teachers, and support students.
👉 Related: Role of NGOs in Improving Education
5. Policy for Crisis Education
A national education in emergencies policy should make learning continuity a priority during any disaster.
The Human Side: Stories from Students
Behind the statistics are stories of children whose lives were upended:
- A girl in Sindh who lost her school to floods and now studies under a tree.
- A boy in KPK who dropped out during COVID because he had no smartphone.
- Families in Punjab who could not afford online schooling and sent children to work instead.
These stories highlight the urgency of making Pakistan’s education system crisis-resilient.
Conclusion
The crises of floods and the pandemic exposed how fragile Pakistan’s education really is. Without a strong plan for education in emergencies, each disaster risks creating a lost generation of children deprived of learning.
Pakistan must invest in disaster-resistant schools, digital infrastructure, and inclusive policies to ensure learning never stops—even when the world outside is collapsing. Because in the end, education is not just about classrooms—it is about building hope and resilience for the nation’s future.
