In the blistering heat of southern Pakistan, classrooms are turning into death traps. At a primary school near Dadu, ten-year-old Azeem clutches a bottle of warm water, his face flushed and exhausted. He left school hours before the final bell, not for misbehavior—but because the heat inside his classroom had become unbearable. With no electricity, no fans, and no clean drinking water, the school offers more hardship than hope.

This isn’t an isolated case. Across Sindh, Southern Punjab, and Balochistan, millions of children face similar conditions—trying to learn in schools unequipped for a climate that grows more extreme by the year.

Heatwaves Turn Schools into Danger Zones

Pakistan, ranked among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, is now seeing the harsh effects play out in its classrooms. In 2025 alone, districts like Jacobabad, Dadu, and Bahawalpur experienced over 20 days with temperatures exceeding 48°C.

At these temperatures, children risk heatstroke, dehydration, and kidney failure, according to UNICEF and WHO. Yet, these very districts have some of the worst educational infrastructure in the country.

A recent Economic Survey of Pakistan (2025) paints a grim picture:

• 69% of public schools in Sindh have no electricity
  
• 43% lack toilets
  
• 42% have no access to drinking water
  
• 39% don’t even have boundary walls
  

In Jacobabad and Dadu, over 72% of government schools operate without power—meaning no fans, no coolers, and no way to protect children from dangerous heat levels. In Bahawalpur, where 47°C is now the norm in June, more than 60% of schools lack basic cooling infrastructure.

Budget Cuts Deepen the Crisis

Despite the escalating emergency, federal education funding has dropped sharply. The 2025–26 federal budget allocates just Rs. 58 billion to education—a dramatic cut from Rs. 103.78 billion the previous year. This is only 0.33% of GDP, far below UNESCO’s 4% recommendation.

Provincial governments, which bear the main responsibility for education post-18th Amendment, have higher allocations, yet fall short on climate resilience:

• Punjab: Rs. 673 billion (17% of budget)
  
• Sindh: Rs. 508 billion (15%)
  
• KP: Rs. 393 billion (22%)
  
• Balochistan: Rs. 162 billion (12%)
  

However, less than 10% of these funds go to infrastructure—and even less to climate adaptation like solar panels, water tanks, or heat-resilient roofing.

Learning Suffers, Children Drop Out

A 2025 attendance survey by Alif Ailaan found shocking trends in heat-affected regions:

• Student attendance dropped by 43% on days above 45°C
  
• Fainting, vomiting, and absenteeism increased sharply
  
• 12% of rural girls dropped out permanently due to heat-related illness
  

Children in Bahawalpur reported fear of going to school during heatwaves, while parents feared medical emergencies they couldn’t afford. “My son fainted twice this summer. We stopped sending him,” said Abdul Karim, a farmer in Dadu.

Even the most basic maintenance is ignored. “The water cooler was stolen. We reported it, but the district office said there are no funds,” said a school headmaster in Bahawalpur.

Broken Promises and Unmet Plans

Despite rising temperatures and repeated warnings from NGOs and climate scientists, government action has been slow. A Rs. 2 billion solar school initiative in Sindh remains stuck in its pilot stage. A National Climate-Resilient Education Strategy, drafted in 2023, is still awaiting implementation.

In the 2025-26 budget speech, education was mentioned only three times—and climate adaptation in schools was not mentioned at all.

Urgent Action Needed

Pakistan’s children cannot wait. Heat is no longer a seasonal discomfort—it is a lethal barrier to education. To protect students and ensure their right to learn, the following urgent steps are essential:

1. Emergency installation of solar-powered fans and water coolers in high-risk districts
   
2. Heat-resilient roofing and shaded play areas
   
3. Flexible school hours or seasonal shifts to avoid peak heat
   
4. Dedicated climate adaptation funds within federal and provincial education budgets
   
5. Immediate rollout of the National Climate-Resilient Education Strategy
   
6. Real-time monitoring of school temperatures and closures in extreme weather
   

As temperatures rise, Pakistan must recognize that this is not just a climate crisis—it is an education emergency. And the cost of inaction is measured in lost futures, abandoned schools, and young lives at risk.