Using Mobile Messages to Protect Girls’ Education During School Closures in Pakistan

A large government-run study in Punjab, Pakistan shows that simple text and voice messages sent to parents during COVID-19 school closures significantly increased girls’ re-enrollment and improved learning once schools reopened. The findings highlight that low-cost information nudges can protect vulnerable students in crises, but also reaffirm that returning to school is central to learning recovery.

Led by researchers from the World Bank, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Lahore University of Management Sciences, and independent research partners, and implemented with the Government of Punjab, a study examines whether simple text and voice messages can protect girls’ education during crises. Working closely with the Punjab School Education Department, the Punjab Information Technology Board, IDEAS Pakistan, and Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi, the project tested one of the largest government-run education messaging campaigns launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when prolonged school closures threatened to disengage millions of girls from education permanently.

Why school closures were especially risky for girls

Before COVID-19, Pakistan already faced major gender gaps in education, driven by social norms, household labor demands on girls, and lower expected economic returns to female schooling. The pandemic sharply worsened these risks. In Punjab, schools were closed fully or partially for long stretches, resulting in an estimated 245 lost learning days. Families worried about learning loss, but many also faced income shocks and rising household responsibilities, especially for older girls. With more than 90 percent of households owning a mobile phone, the provincial government saw digital messaging as a low-cost way to reach parents directly during the crisis.

How the messaging campaign worked

Between October 2020 and November 2021, households with girls enrolled in grades 5 to 7 before the pandemic were randomly assigned to different groups. Two groups received frequent SMS messages, about seven per week for four months, along with voice messages from well-known Pakistani celebrities and public figures. One version focused explicitly on daughters and girls’ schooling, while the other used gender-neutral language referring to children in general. A third, cross-randomized group received math practice questions and solutions via text messages as academic support. All messages were sent from official government accounts, which helped ensure trust and visibility. A control group received no messages.

Strong gains in re-enrollment and learning

The results show that the information campaign worked. About three months after schools permanently reopened, girls whose families received messages were six percentage points more likely to be enrolled than those in the control group, even though overall enrollment rates were already high. The effects were strongest for girls most at risk of dropping out, suggesting that the messages helped families on the margin to keep their daughters in school. Learning outcomes also improved: girls in treated households scored about 0.2 standard deviations higher in both Urdu and mathematics than those who received no messages. Much of this learning gain appears to be linked to re-enrollment itself, highlighting how critical returning to school was for recovery.

What the study reveals for future policy

One of the most striking findings is that gender-neutral messages performed as well as, and sometimes better than, girl-focused messages. Parents often did not see education decisions in explicitly gendered terms and instead focused on supporting whichever child needed help most. In this context, messages about “children’s education” resonated strongly. The academic support texts, by contrast, had limited impact on learning, reinforcing evidence that short SMS lessons cannot replace classroom teaching. Overall, the study shows that simple, credible government messages can change behavior at scale, especially in emergencies. But it also delivers a clear reminder: digital nudges help, yet face-to-face schooling remains essential. When future crises hit, keeping schools open whenever safely possible may matter more than any message campaign.