The Value of Education in Pakistani Culture.

Overview & Synopsis

Pakistani culture is heavily influenced by the dominant Islam religion, with its emphasis on education. The public schools in Pakistan provide free education, although limited resources reduce the quality of the education available. Private schools provide a higher quality education, and parents usually try to enroll their children in private schools. For this reason, young children experience great pressure to pass a preschool admissions examination and to get into a good private school. Graduates of public schools have limited job opportunities, and social and economic pressures make education vitally important in Pakistani culture. Teachers receive a great deal of social recognition in Pakistan, and even though the financial rewards of teaching are not great, teaching is a prestigious occupation. Religious education, provided in religious schools after the academic school day, is also important to Pakistanis. (SLD)