Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, March 31 -- In Dir Upper, the vision of equal education for girls remains far from reality in 2026, despite repeated government assurances. Official data highlights a stark gender disparity in access to schooling, particularly at higher levels, raising concerns about long-term social and economic consequences, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, figures show that out of 1,017 schools in the district, only 310 are designated for girls, serving just 64,892 students. In contrast, 707 boys' or mixed institutions cater to over 141,000 students, including some girls. This imbalance persists even though women make up more than half of the district's population of 1.08 million.

At the colleg...