7.2.6. Education

The total literacy rate for Karachi Division was reported to be 75.1 % for the population aged ten years and above in the 2023 Population & Housing Census. 77.2 % of men and 72.8 % of women were literate.2152 Furthermore, the census estimated the rate of children aged between 5 and 16 years who have never attended school or who have dropped out, ‘out of school children’ (OOSC). Karachi Central had the lowest OOSC rate in Sindh province at 22.7 %. By contrast, Korangi, Karachi West, Keamari and Malir recorded higher OOSC rates falling in a range between 30.1 % and 45 %.2153

According to the DVIP, Karachi Central had the highest concentration of education facilities in Pakistan, with 29.86 primary schools and 16.38 secondary schools per 10 square kilometres.2154 As of 2023, Karachi Central was the district with the highest population density in Sindh at 55 396 persons per square kilometre,2155 had 327 functioning schools in total,2156 and a student teacher ratio of 18.2157

Karachi East had 180 functioning schools and the lowest student teacher ratio, at 16.2158

Karachi West had the highest student teacher ratio, at 29, and 179 functioning schools.2159

According to the 2023-2024 Annual School Census by the Sindh government, between 76.9 % and 98.6 % of the schools in the Karachi districts had washroom facilities, with the exception of Karachi West, where only 29.2 % of the schools had such facilities. The availability of electricity in schools varied between 62 % in Malir and 95 % in Karachi East. Regarding drinking water facilities in schools, Keamari had the lowest coverage at 57 %, while Korangi had the highest at 86 %.2160 According to the HEC, Karachi had 12 public and 43 private universities.2161