Education in Pakistan is divided into five levels: primary (grades one through five);

middle (grades six through eight); high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary
School Certificate); intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher
Secondary School Certificate); and university programs leading to graduate and advanced
degrees.
!"
#ll academic education institutions are the responsi$ility of the provincial governments.
%he federal government mostly assists in curriculum development, accreditation and
some financing of research.
%he literacy rate ranges from &'.()* in +slama$ad to ,-.(&* in the .usa/hel 0istrict.
1"

2etween '---3'--!, 4a/istanis in the age group 1156! had a literacy rate of almost
(-*, those aged $etween !151! had a literacy rate of nearly !-*, those $etween '15(!
had a literacy rate of 1-*, and those aged ,15'! had a literacy rate of more than 6-*.
6"

%hese data indicate that, with every passing generation, the literacy rate in 4a/istan has
risen $y around ,-*. 7iteracy rates vary regionally, particularly $y sex. +n tri$al areas
female literacy was (*.
&"
4a/istan has pu$lic and private educational institutions. %here are private primary,
secondary and higher educational institutions in 4a/istan. %he private schools charge fees
and in many cases provide $etter education to its students.
Contents
hide"
, 4rimary and Secondary school
' 4ost8secondary
o '., 9ender 0isparity
o '.' Spending on :ducation
( ;niversities in the <orld %op ,---
! Statistics
o !., 7iteracy Since ,=!&
o !.' 7iteracy $y 4rovince (,=&' to 4resent)
o !.( ,=&'
o !.! ,=),
o !.1 ,==)
o !.6 '--)
o !.& School attendance
1 See also
6 >eferences
& ?urther reading
) :xternal lin/s
Primary and Secondary school
@nly 6(* of 4a/istani children finish primary school education.
)"
?urthermore, 6)* of
4a/istani $oys and &'* of 4a/istani girls reach grade 1.
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Post-secondary
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4lease help improve this article $y adding relia$le references. ;nsourced material may $e challenged
and removed. (March 2010)
+n '--(8-!, only '.=* of 4a/istanis were enrolled in higher education,
,-"
$ut this
increased to !.-* in '--) (1.,* for males A '.)* for females)
,,"
and to !.&* in '--=.
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4a/istan plans to increase this figure to ,-* $y '-,1 and su$seBuently to ,1* $y '-'-.
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Students can attend a college or university for 2achelor of #rts (2#), 2achelor of
Science (2Sc), or CommerceC2usiness #dministration (2ComC22#) degree courses.
%here are two types of 2achelor courses in 4a/istan: 4ass or Honours. 4ass reBuires two
years of study and students normally read three optional su$Dects (such as Chemistry,
.athematics, :conomics, Statistics) in addition to almost eBual num$er of compulsory
su$Dects (such as :nglish, 4a/istan Studies and +slamic Studies). Honours courses reBuire
three or four years of study, and students normally specialiEe in a chosen field of study,
such as 2iochemistry (2Sc Hons. 2iochemistry). +t is important to note that 4ass
2achelors is now slowly $eing phased out for Honours throughout the country.
#fter earning their Higher Secondary (School) Certificate (HSSC)), students may study
for professional 2achelorFs degree courses such as engineering (2 :ngg), medicine
(.22S), veterinary medicine(0G.), law (772), agriculture (2Sc #gri), architecture (2
#rch), nursing (2 Hurs). %hese courses reBuire four or five years of study, depending
upon the degree.
%o earn a 2achelor of %echnology (2.%ech) degree, students must first earn a 0iploma of
#ssociate :ngineer (a (8year course), then attend a 2achelor of %echnology program for
four years.
Some .asterFs degree programs reBuire one and a half years of study. 0octor of
4hilosophy (4h0) education is also availa$le in selected areas. Students pursuing 4h0
degrees must choose a specific field and a university that is doing research wor/ in that
field. 4h0 education in 4a/istan reBuires at least (51 years of study.
4a/istani universities churn out almost ,.' million s/illed graduates annually. %he
government has announced a I, $illion spending plan over the next decade to $uild 6
state8of8the8art science and engineering universities. %he scheme would $e overseen $y
the Higher :ducation Commission..
Gender Disparity
#mong other criticisms the 4a/istani education system faces is the gender disparity in
enrollment levels. However, in recent years some progress has $een made in trying to fix
this pro$lem. +n ,==-8=,, the female to male ratio (?C. ratio) of enrollment was -.!& for
primary level of education. +t reached to -.&! in ,===8'---, so the ?C. ratio has
improved $y 1&.!!* within the decade. ?or the middle level of education it was -.!' in
the start of decade and increased to -.6) $y the end of decade, so it has improved almost
6'*. +n $oth cases the gender disparity is decreased $ut relatively more rapidly at middle
level. 2ut for whole of the decade the gender disparity remained relatively high at middle
level, despite the fact that for the duration the ?C. ratio for teachers and ?C. ratio of
educational institutions at the middle level remained $etter than at the primary level.
,'"
%he gender disparity in enrolment at secondary level of education was -.! in ,==-8=,
was -.6&* in ,===8'---, so the disparity has decreased $y 6&.1* in the decade or at the
average rate of 6.&1* annually. #t the college level it was -.1- in ,==-8=, and it reached
-.), in ,===8'---, so gender disparity decreased $y 6!* with an annual rate of 6.!*.
%he gender disparity has decreased comparatively rapidly at secondary school. %he
gender disparity in educational institutions at the secondary level of education was
changed from -.(6 in ,==-8=, to -.1' in ,===8'--- with a !!* change. %he same type
of disparity at the college level was -.16 in ,==-8=, and reached at -.6! in ,===8'---
with ,!* change in the decade. %he disparity at the college level has improved much less
than that at the secondary level.
,'"
However, the gender disparity is affected $y the %ali$an enforcement of a complete $an
on female education in the Swat district, as reported in a January ',, '--= issue of the
4a/istan daily newspaper The News. Some !-- private schools enrolling !-,--- girls
have $een shut down. #t least ,- girlsF schools that tried to open after the January ,1,
'--= deadline $y the %ali$an were $lown up $y the militants in the town of .ingora, the
headBuarters of the Swat district.
,("
K.ore than ,&- schools have $een $om$ed or
torched, along with other government8owned $uildings.K
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Spending on Education
#s a percentage of 904, 4a/istan spends only '.=* of it on :ducation.
,!"
However, the
government recently approved the new national education policy, which would result in
education $eing allocated &* of the 904.
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#n idea, first suggested $y the 4unDa$
government.
,1"
%he government plans to raise the literacy rate to )1* $y '-,1.
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+n
accordance with the target set $y the .illennium 0evelopment 9oals for 4a/istan.
Universities in the World op !"""
0uring ,=!&8'--(, not a single university in 4a/istan could $e ran/ed among the top 6--
of the world, $ut today five 4a/istani universities $elong to this prestigious group, with
the Hational ;niversity of Science and %echnology at Ho (1- (%imes, Higher :ducation,
;L ran/ings)
,6"
+n the field of Hatural Sciences, the progress is even more remar/a$le,
with the ;niversity of Larachi ran/ed at ''(, Hational ;niversity of Science and
%echnology ran/ed at '6- and Muaid8e8#Eam ;niversity ran/ed at '&-.
Statistics
#iteracy Since !$%&
7iteracy >ate 8 4a/istan, Sources:
,,",&"
0efinition:
,&"
+slamia College ;niversity 4eshawar
#itchson College, 7ahore
a) ,=1, Census: @ne who can read a clear print in any language. ,6.!*
$) ,=6, Census: @ne who is a$le to read with understanding a simple letter in any
language. ,6.(*
c) ,=&' Census: @ne who is a$le to read and write in some language with understanding.
',.&*
d) ,=), Census: @ne who can read newspaper and write a simple letter '6.'*
e) ,==) Census: @ne who can read a newspaper and write a simple letter, in any
language. !(.=*
%he present ('--)) proDected literacy rate for 4a/istan is 16* (male 6=* : female !!*)
,)"
#iteracy 'y Province (!$&) to Present*
!$&)
Province #iteracy +ate
4unDa$ '-.&*
Sindh (-.'*
H<?4 ,1.1*
2alochistan ,-.,*
!$,!
Province #iteracy +ate
4unDa$ '&.!*
Sindh (,.1*
H<?4 ,6.&*
2alochistan ,-.(*
!$$,
Province #iteracy +ate
4unDa$ !6.16*
Sindh !1.'=*
H<?4 (1.!,*
2alochistan '6.6*
)"",
Province #iteracy +ate
4unDa$ 6-.'*
,"
Sindh 1&.&*
,"
H<?4 !=.=*
,"
2alochistan !).)*
,"
#Ead Lashmir had a literacy rate of 6'* $ac/ in '--!. Higher than any other region in
4a/istan. @ut of 6'* a$out 11.!&* were people at the age of ,- or a little a$ove of it,
&-.1'* were male and !-.!6* were female.
,="
However, only '.'* were graduates
compared to the average of '.=* for the whole of 4a/istan in '--!.
'-"
School attendance
4opulation aged ,- A over that has ever attended school, highest and lowest figures $y
region. +slama$ad has the highest rate in the country at )1*, whilst Jhal .agsi has the
lowest rate at '-*.
+egion -ighest #o.est
4unDa$ >awalpindi (&&*) .uEaffargarh A >aDanpur (!-*)
Sindh Larachi (&)*) Jaco$a$ad ((!*)
H<?4 #$$otta$ad (6&*) ;pper 0ir ((!*)
2alochistan Muetta (6!*) Jhal .agsi ('-*)
Source:
',"
#iteracy rate of Pakistani districts ()""/*
''"'("
+an
k
District Province #iterac
y rate
+an
k
District Provin
ce
#iterac
y rate
view N tal/ N edit
0slama'ad
+a.alpindi1
Pun2a'
, 0slama'a
d
Capital
%erritory
&'.()* ,, Gu2ran.a
la
4unDa$ 16.11*
' +a.alpin
di
4unDa$ &-.!1* ,' -aripur Horth8
<est
?rontier
1(.&'*
( 3arachi Sindh 61.'6* ,( 4aro.al 4unDa$ 1'.61*
! #ahore 4unDa$ 6!.66* ,! 5aisala'a
d
4unDa$ 1,.=!*
1 6helum 4unDa$ 6(.='* ,1 o'a ek
Singh
4unDa$ 1-.1-*
6 Gu2rat 4unDa$ 6'.,)* ,6 7ttock 4unDa$ !=.'&*
& Sialkot 4unDa$ 1).='* ,& 8andi
9ahauddi
n
4unDa$ !&.!!*
) :uetta 2alochist
an
1&.-&* ,) Sukkur Sindh !6.6'*
= Chak.al 4unDa$ 16.&'* ,= Sargodha 4unDa$ !6.(-*
,- 7''otta'
ad
Horth8
<est
?rontier
16.6,* '- -ydera'a
d
Sindh !!.'1*