Education in Pakistan
In Pakistan’s Balochistan province, Afghan refugee children live with constant uncertainty, facing limited access to education, unstable legal status, and the threat of deportation. With support from the European Union (EU), the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is providing safe learning spaces and protection services so children like 12-year-old Attiq Ullah can leave precarious work behind, return to the classroom, and imagine a safer future for themselves and their families.
In Pakistan, many Afghan refugees have spent years living with uncertainty. Families often struggle to secure stable housing, work and access to basic services, which makes it hard to plan for the future. Many Afghan families live in refugee villages, busy towns, and makeshift settlements, where it is often hard to find nearby schools.
Daily life can be especially tough - families live on very low incomes and rely on daily-wage, informal work just to get by. As a result, children are often under pressure to help support their families instead of continuing their education, which can close off opportunities later in life.
Attiq’s path back to the classroom
Among these families is 12-year-old Attiq Ullah, who lives with his parents, five brothers, and two sisters. His father works as a wood chopper at a lumber yard, but his earnings barely cover the basics, so Attiq’s older brothers seek income through informal trade in tea leaves. For a time, Attiq left his studies to join his brothers to help support his family through this work.
“Life feels more stable now. I have new friends and I am learning every day,” Attiq shared.
Photo: Khumais Hashmi for the IRC
Everything changed when an Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) Centre opened in his neighbourhood. One morning, when the border was shut, and he stayed home, Attiq saw children walking toward a nearby house with school bags. A friend told him about the new education centre, where children received free books, played football, and learned reading and writing. That evening, Attiq mentioned the centre to his family at dinner. His father and brothers encouraged him to enrol and promised to manage without his help, with one condition: he would stay in school this time.
A safe place to learn and grow
Under the “Building Resilience of Afghan Refugees and Host Communities through Integrated Protection, Health, and Education Assistance in Balochistan Province” project, the IRC established an Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) in Attiq’s community.
Supported by the European Union, this centre is one of 18 which provides education for children who have never been to school or who have dropped out.
“At the centre, we offer children a different kind of chance: a chance to learn, to feel safe, and to believe in their future,” explained Saif Ullah, a facilitator at the ALP Centre.
Photo: Khumais Hashmi for the IRC
Since enrolling four months ago, Attiq has not missed a single day. “I love spending time at the centre. The best part of my day is playing football with my friends,” he said. “I already knew how to recite Arabic, but now I can read and write as well.”
Building resilience amid uncertainty
The wider context for Afghan refugees in Pakistan remains challenging. In recent years, new policies and discussions around returns have created a climate of uncertainty, making many families worry about what the future might hold for them and their children.
Families fear that sudden changes could force them to move again, disrupt children’s education and pull them away from the neighbours and communities they have known for years. In this situation, having access to safe learning spaces and reliable support helps children feel more secure and gives families strength to keep going.
Balochistan, Pakistan. Attiq, 12, an Afghan refugee, stands at the entrance of an EU-supported IRC Accelerated Learning Program centre where he has been studying for several months.
Photo: Khumais Hashmi for the IRC
How the EU and IRC are helping in Pakistan
With support from the European Union, the IRC is providing education services for Afghan refugees and host communities in Balochistan, including in Chaman, Killa Abdullah, and Pishin districts.
At the start of the day, Attiq, 12, enters the EU-supported IRC Accelerated Learning Program centre with his school bag, while his friends play and talk just inside the gate.
Photo: Khumais Hashmi for the IRC
Through this EU-funded project, Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) centres offer condensed lessons, trained facilitators and safe, welcoming classrooms so children who are out of school can catch up and, where possible, move into formal education.
For children like Attiq, this support is already opening new doors. “One day, I will complete my studies, get a good job in the city, and support my family in a better way,” he said. With continued backing from the European Union, the IRC aims to help many more Afghan refugee children in Pakistan turn uncertainty into learning, stability and hope for a better future.
About our work with the European Union
The International Rescue Committee partners with the European Union to provide life-saving support to people caught in conflict and disasters around the world. Our work funded by the EU enables people to survive, recover and rebuild their lives.
