Abstract:
Primary school enrollment rates in Pakistan are lower than in other
countries at the same level of economic development. The proportion of
children reaching grade 5 is about half that in Sri Lanka and China and
three-quarter that in India. Nationally, the gross primary school ratio is 74,
and 101 for boys and 45 for girls. According to the National Education
Policy 1992-2002, the target of literacy rate was set at 70 percent by the
year 2002, which was achievable besides other measures, by inviting the
private sector into education. Now, overall, private education accounts for
about 10-12 percent of gross enrollments. The government of Pakistan has
established a goal of universal primary enrollment by the year 2006. In the
present study the quality characteristics of private schooling are discussed,
i.e. qualitative aspects of schools, physical infrastructure of schools, teachers’
qualification and salaries, and fee, dropout rate, and repletion rate of the
students, etc.
