There is very little learning going on in some schools in the Punjab province of Pakistan, according to a recent sample study by the Punjab Literacy Watch. Pupils who had dismally low marks in maths and Urdu systematically got promoted to the next Grade, the study reveals. The average score of the 1,371 primary school pupils tested in third, fourth and fifth Grades was only 25 per cent, suggesting only a quarter of the curriculum is being successfully taught.
Poor teaching appears to be the most serious problem.
Assessment in Punjab primary schools is not institutionalized. Whatever evaluation takes place is sporadic making it hard to know what pupils are learning. Testing in the country in general is based on passive learning. Parents in rural areas are not motivated to send their children to school and prefer that they work to supplement the family income. This tendency is prevalent in poor families, and girls tend to fare worse.