AN ANALYSIS OF PARTICIIPATION RATE OF GIRLS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF NORTH-WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE PAKISTAN: PROMISE AND REALITY

Abstract

From the day of its independence in 1947 till date, the implementation strategies of several National Education Policies in Pakistan targeted the universalization of primary education for girls by different years. However full participation of primary school children could not be achieved simply by opening of schools, particularly in rural areas, where enrollment of girls compared to boys remained for several years only about one third at the national level. Rural primary schools were beset with problems of shortage of trained and qualified teachers and the incidence of absenteeism of female teachers, in rural areas. The teachers were posted in rural areas without providing them extra benefits and incentives. Among the major obstacles to the quantitative expansion of education were the indifference of communities and parents to girls’ education. The scattered population, which lived in rural settlements and were marginalized in educational planning posed another problem to the covered of uncovered population of children.  The lack of physical facilities evidently beyond the resource envelop of the provincial government was yet another hurdle in promoting elementary education in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.. Consequently access to primary education for girls was not improved significantly. The problem of access received further setback due to lack of adequate rural drop outs in some areas, which remained for several years up to 50 per cent of those enrolled.

The study took cognizance of all those issues by analyzing the participation rates of girls and identifying causes for low profile, which could be addressed for implement able solutions if sincerely addressed in educational planning.

Key words: girl child, access, coverage, incentives, poverty, family economics, and social taboos