International Education Guide - Enterprise and Advanced Education ...

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INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GUIDE for the assessment of education from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Private Schools
Before 1972, privately managed institutions at the school
and college levels constituted an important part of the
education system. They were funded by student fees and
donations and also received government grants-in-aid. In
1972 the federal government decided to nationalize all
private institutions. More than 19,000 private institutions,
including schools, madrassas, colleges and technical
institutions, were nationalized. However, inadequate
funding and poor management soon led to the deterioration
of standards at the newly nationalized schools. The policy
was reversed in 1979 when the government acknowledged it
must encourage the establishment of private institutions to
tackle the poor participation rates at all levels of education.
Partly due to the poor quality of government-funded
schools, private education is playing an increasingly
important role. In 2003–04, students in private schools
accounted for 42 per cent of total enrolment at the
primary level, 37 per cent at the middle school level, 30 per
cent at the secondary level and 64 per cent at the higher
secondary level.
The quality of education at private schools, although
uneven, generally compares favourably with that at
government schools. While some schools, especially in
poor and remote areas, charge very low fees and offer fee
waivers or scholarships, others cater to high income families
in urban areas. Some English-language private schools
that prepare students for the British General Certificate
of Education A and O Level examinations or the United
States SATs have reputations for high quality. Englishlanguage
schools are popular with parents, who believe
the knowledge of English opens up more opportunities for
their children in both employment and further education,
as English is the working language in higher levels of the
Pakistani military and bureaucracy.
Madrassas
In addition to the regular government-funded education
system, Pakistan has a network of religious seminaries,
commonly known as madrassas or madaris, which teach
Islamic religion, culture, arts and sciences at primary
through graduate levels.
Madrassas date back to the Islamic period in Indian
history. Under British rule the number of madrassas
and their enrolment declined steadily. At the time of
independence in 1947, there were only about a hundred
madrassas in Pakistan. Since the late 1970s the system has
expanded rapidly. The deteriorating infrastructure and
falling standards at government-funded schools and their
failure to provide an education that is considered relevant
to the everyday life and economic necessities of the poorer
sectors of the population partially account for the boom
of madrassas. In 2002 there were an estimated 10,000
madrassas with a total enrolment of 1.7 million.
Main subjects taught at the madrassas include the Koran,
Islamic law and jurisprudence, logic and the tradition of the
Prophet. The language of instruction is Urdu or a regional
language such as Sindhi, but students also learn Arabic
and Persian from ancient religious texts. The vast majority
of madrassas are funded by charity and, in some cases, by
foreign donors. As they generally charge no tuition fees and
even provide free room and board, they attract very poor
students who could not otherwise afford any education.
While many madrassas remain unregistered, the registered
ones mostly belong to five religious education boards that
prescribe the curricula, conduct examinations and award
certificates to successful candidates:
• Wafaq-ul-Madaris Al-Arabia, Multan
• Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Alhe Sunnat, Lahore
• Wafaq-ul-Madaris Al-Salfia, Faisalabad
• Wafaq-ul-Madaris Shia, Lahore
• Rabita-ul-Madaris Al Islamia, Lahore
The major madrass certificates (called sanad) are:
Shahadatul Almiya (2 years)
Shahadatul alia (2 years)
Shahadatul sanvia khasa (2 years)
Shahadatul sanvia aama (2 years)
middle school certificiate or equivalent
(8 years of schooling)