Because the levels of female education in Pakistan are so low, the returns to investment in basic female education ought to be very high, the report says. The report draws its conclusions from a variety of promising educational initiatives in Pakistan. In particular, it draws on five studies of determinants of successful schools, covering all four provinces of Pakistan and both urban and rural environments. But we have found parental demand to be high, even for girls' education, when schools operate well. The quality of education has emerged as a major obstacle to expanding enrollment levels for basic education, the report says.
Many schools are without boundary walls, roofs, running water, or usable latrines.
Inefficiency and waste are prevalent throughout the educational system. Female teachers are in short supply in rural areas, and teachers are not distributed efficiently according to need. A government school teacher may take nearly 20 percent of the year off as legal absences and as a result teacher absenteeism is endemic. Approximately 62,000 teachers lack basic pedagogical training. More than previously supposed, the report found.