Exploring Reasons for Children Never Attending School in Pakistan
August 5, 2024This analysis explores the reasons behind school attendance of Pakistani youth (5 years or older) in 2019 – highlighting key urban-rural and gender differences. It provides valuable insights into the varied motivations driving school attendance across the country, based on data from the PSLM 2018-19 Dashboard.
Reason 1. Good Teaching:
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
|
Urban
|
72% |
67% |
|
Rural |
54% |
49% |
- Gender- Wise Analysis: Good teaching is the primary reason for both genders to attend school, with a higher percentage in urban areas. This indicates that quality of education is a significant motivator, and urban areas may offer better educational standards compared to rural regions.
- Urban – Rural Analysis: Urban students, both males and females, are more motivated by the quality of teaching. This reflects the disparity in educational quality between urban and rural schools, with urban schools likely providing better resources and teaching standards.
Reason 2. Cheaper (than alternatives):
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
|
Urban
|
19% |
22% |
|
Rural |
31% |
34% |
- Gender- Wise Analysis: Affordability is a more significant factor for females and rural residents. This suggests that economic constraints are more pronounced among these groups, making the cost of education a critical consideration.
- Urban – Rural Analysis: Economic factors are more critical for rural students, indicating higher economic pressures in rural areas. Females, both urban and rural, prioritize affordability more, highlighting the economic challenges they face in accessing education.
Reason 3. Near to Home:
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
|
Urban
|
9% |
11% |
|
Rural |
15% |
18% |
- Gender- Wise Analysis: Proximity to home is a more important factor for females and rural residents, indicating that safety and convenience are significant considerations, particularly for girls and families in rural areas.
- Urban – Rural Analysis: Proximity to home is a more significant factor for rural students, particularly females. This underscores the challenges related to transportation, safety, and accessibility in rural areas, which can be barriers to education.
Key Insights, Causes and Effects
- Gender-Based Insights:
- Quality of Education: Good teaching is a universal motivator, but urban areas benefit more from better educational standards.
- Economic Constraints: Affordability is a critical issue, especially for females, reflecting broader economic challenges and gender disparities in access to education.
- Safety and Convenience: Proximity to school is particularly important for females, indicating concerns about safety and the convenience of accessing education.
- Urban-Rural Disparity Insights:
- Educational Quality: Urban schools offer better teaching, drawing more students based on educational standards.
- Economic Factors: Rural areas face higher economic pressures, making the cost of education a more significant barrier.
- Accessibility: Rural students prioritize proximity due to transportation and safety issues, highlighting the need for better infrastructure and safer routes to schools.
- Potential Causes:
- Resource Allocation: Better resources and teaching staff in urban schools lead to higher educational quality.
- Economic Disparities: Rural areas may have less economic support and higher poverty rates, affecting education affordability.
- Infrastructure Challenges: Poor infrastructure in rural areas impacts the accessibility and safety of schools, particularly for females.
- Potential Effects:
- Educational Disparities: Continued urban-rural educational disparities, with rural students lagging behind due to lower quality and accessibility.
- Economic Impact: Long-term economic consequences due to lower educational attainment in rural areas, perpetuating cycles of poverty.
- Gender Inequality: Persistent gender disparities in education access and quality, impacting future opportunities and empowerment for females.
By Maha Gardezi
Research and Analytics Intern, Gallup Pakistan