The education sector in Pakistan has made significant progress over the past 10 years, however it remains under acute pressure. Demographic shifts and a lack of public financing mean that in Pakistan’s public education system has been increasingly stretched, both in terms of scale and quality of provision. As a result families have increasingly turned to private schools, which are estimated to now account for 20% of all school places in Pakistan (ASER Pakistan 2012).
Contrary to popular belief, private schools are not just for the middle and upper income echelons; the majority of these schools in Pakistan can be classified as “low cost private schools” (LCPS) or private schools that cater to children from low income families. Evidence from Pakistan suggests that when they have the choice, many parents prefer to send their children these schools over government schools (Andrabi, Das, & Khwaja, 2006).
