Pakistani Education
Educational System
There are many differences between the educational systems in Pakistan and the U.S. In Pakistan, the quality of education is often dependent on students' socioeconomic background and gender. Although the government tries to ensure equal education for everyone, many children in rural areas, especially girls, don't have the opportunity to go to school. Schooling is compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 10. There are five levels of education. Students attend primary school in grades 1-5 and middle school in grades 6-8. Students must pass a difficult examination to get into high school, which they attend in grades 9 and 10. After 10th grade, many students go on to intermediate school in grades 11 and 12, where they can earn a diploma in arts or science. Afterwards, they can go to a university. The Pakistani educational system is based on Islamic teachings, but most schools also teach English as a foreign language.
School Day
In general the school day is much longer in Pakistan. Students may attend school for 12 hours a day, even in primary school. If their families have money, students can go to schools with small class sizes. Students have different teachers for each class, and the teachers move from room to room. There is a strong emphasis on groups and teamwork. Although there are some mixed high schools, most high schools have 2 branches, which are segregated by gender. After school, most students go to the mosque to pray. On Fridays, the Muslim sabbath, school is only in session until 12:00 pm, so that students can leave school to attend prayer services. Students have school Monday-Friday and have Sunday off.
Student-Teacher Relationship
Teachers and students have a formal relationship in Pakistani schools. Students don't look their teachers in the eye. They also must agree with everything their teachers say. Teachers assign daily chores for the students, such as taking attendance. Teachers traditionally have used corporal punishment to discipline the students, but in recent years the government has passed laws to ban its use.
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