Hundreds of government schools across Punjab lack basic facilities including furniture and toilets for students, while teacher absenteeism has exceeded 10 percent in several districts.
According to a report released by the provincial Education Department, there are significant gaps in infrastructure and staff attendance across public schools in the province.
In the provincial capital, Lahore, 22 percent of government schools were found to have poor cleanliness standards. In Wazirabad, 30 percent of schools have accumulated garbage on their premises.
Multan fares similarly poorly, with 36 percent of its government schools lacking toilet facilities altogether.
Furniture shortages are most severe in the districts of Jhang and Chiniot, where 45 percent and 35 percent of schools, respectively, lack adequate furniture for students.
The report notes that the combination of missing basic facilities and high teacher absenteeism has created significant difficulties for students, raising concerns about the overall performance of the public education system.
