Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have discussed with the government of Pakistan the incidence of children from minority backgrounds failing to complete their education and leaving without qualifications as a consequence of discrimination and negative attitudes towards minorities and its impact on poverty in Pakistan.

According to UNESCO Pakistan has the second highest number of out of school children globally. DFID Pakistan’s education programmes work with the provincial governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to increase enrolment and reduce the number of children out of school. We are concerned about every child that is out of school, whatever the reason for them being out of school. The Governments that we work with are committed to ensure that every child is able to go to school and to stay in school and we work with them to make that happen. Since 2011 UK Aid has benefitted 6.8 million children in primary education. DFID’s national education campaign, Alif Ailaan, highlights and campaigns on key educational issues such as out of school children and learning outcomes for the poor and most marginalised.