Fewer and Better Educated Children: Expanded Choices in Schooling and Fertility in Rural Pakistan

Abstract

Ascertaining the impact of increased choices within schooling on enrollment rate in Pakistan  

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of increased schooling opportunities on enrollment and attainment along with family planning and fertility. Longitudinal study and cross sectional analysis is conducted for twelve communities residing within rural Punjab and N.W.F.P in order to highlight trends in schooling opportunities for both the genders in terms of quality, choice and access.  

The overall analysis reveals that households have experienced a rise in living standards and have responded positively to providing education to their children when they are presented with educational opportunities.  

Finding include:

• Enrollment and retention rates for both genders have improved; although they are still less than expected rates.

• 33% of girls in these villages have never been to school showing insufficiency of recent developments to adequately impact girls schooling rate.

• The quality gap between private and public schools is narrowing as more resources are now available to government schools.

• Although the quality of teachers in girl’s school is now comparable to that of boy’s school; the student teacher ratio in girl’s school continues to lag.

• Communities with lower rate of development continue to indicate gender disparity in enrollment as opposed to communities with higher rate of development.  

Publishing Year: 2006

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