Education in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

The literacy rate for Azad Jammu Kashmir was estimated at 67%, considered relatively high and better than the overall Pakistan average. There is no compulsory education in Azad Jammu Kashmir, but an aim for universal primary education. The organisation of schooling is set out below:

Primary classes, years 1-5 (age 5-10) Middle classes, years 6-8 (age 11-13) High classes, years 9-10 (age 14-15) – at which point students “matriculate” and leave school for intermediate studies or employment. College, years 11-12 (FA/FSc/ICOM) 13-14 (BA/BSc/BCom) Graduation Class

Azad Jammu Kashmir has:

• 4306 Primary Schools
• 993 Middle Schools
• 543 High Schools
• 40 Secondary Colleges
• 30 Degree Colleges
• 6 MA Colleges
• 10 Elementary teacher training institutions
• 3 other Teacher Training Institutions
• 1 University (in Muzaffarabad which was razed to the ground in the earthquake leaving Azad Jammu Kashmir with no University)
• 1 Technical College
• 1 Polytechnic
• Private sector schools and one private University in Mirpur

Schools In Pakistan And Azad Jammu Kashmir

The provision of education in schools in the Mirpur District (a similar pattern occurs in Pakistan) can be categorised in terms of funding sources. These include:

• Government funded, where schools tend to be of varying qualities but generally for children from extremely low socio-economic backgrounds;
• Schools funded by charities or trusts which tend to be of a slightly better quality, but also for children from low socio-economic backgrounds and/or with disabilities;
• Schools which are privately funded and run on British Public School models, they are of a high standard and for children from middle class families belonging to higher socio-economic groups. These schools are well resourced and provide an elitist education drawing on values based on a highly stratified class system and exclusivity. 

This was a challenging situation for the delegates to be in, especially as they were all professional working in the context of Widening Participation in Bradford.