The UK is one of the top destinations for Pakistan’s outbound tertiary students, receiving 6,575 in 2018/19, an 8 per cent increase from the previous year. The UK was the top destination for internationally mobile Pakistani students for many years, but changes to visa and post-study policies led to a sharp decline in 2013. The announcement of a new two-year post study work visa set to take effect from summer 2021 is likely to contribute to faster growth in enrolments.
The number of students enrolled in tertiary education in Pakistan remains modest given the size of the population. Despite this, Pakistan is one of the largest sending markets for international students globally. This is due in part to the poor quality of Pakistani tertiary institutions but also because of the country’s large and growing youth population.
In 2019, Pakistan spent an equivalent of just 2.4 per cent of GDP on education, half the global average of 4.8 per cent. The severe lack of funding has led to inadequate provision with a lack of trained teachers and poor infrastructure. However, the government has a number of initiatives in place under its Vision 2030 policy blueprint to improve quality and access and reform the education system.
| Attachment |
|---|
| MIB-Pakistan_2019-20.pdf |