Getting the Girls to School: The Community Schools Project in Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan
Dr. Mola Dad Shafa

Abstract
This paper reviews a ten-year, two-phase educational project that, amongst its main aims, attempted to increase significantly the enrolment of girls in schools. After discussing the constraints on the lives of females in the region, the paper analyses the effects of the project on enrolment. Although girls’ enrolment doubled, a large proportion of girls remained out of school and the drop-out rate of girls was significantly higher than that of boys. The paper examines the reasons for these trends and suggests that, contrary to some expectations, many parents are willing to send their girls to school, but only under strictly controlled and monitored conditions. Finally, there is a discussion of some broader implications of developments that took place during the project.

Full Text: PDF