The Rise of Private Schooling in Pakistan: Catering to the Urban Elite or Educating the Rural Poor?
Contributor Name:
Kavita
Prevalence of private schools for low-income families
There has been significant growth in the share of private sector in education in Pakistan since the denationalization of private schooling 1979. The authors use data from the census of private schools conducted in 2000 by the Federal Bureau to provide a description of the private education sector in Pakistan.
The study indicates that while the rural-urban divide remains, there is marked improvement in rural areas, and contrary to expectations, private education is not an urban elite phenomenon. Findings suggest that:
- Private schools have lower student-teacher ratio than public schools;
- Education levels of teachers in private schools matched those of teachers in public schools, although they were largely untrained and less experienced;
- Fees predictably correspond to school inputs, and parents can infer quality variations between schools;
- Private schools are mainly coeducational, with higher girls’ enrollment and higher number of female teachers;
- Rural areas with a greater supply of educated women are able to respond very effectively to growing demand for education.