For decades, Pakistan's government has continuously provided its citizens with accessible, universal, basic education; however, these efforts have not yielded any gains for the citizens. Consequently, Pakistan has a lower literacy rate, one of the lowest in South Asia and the rest of the world. Although such a substantial issue is daunting and…

A whole school (K-12) "Reading for Pleasure" program was implemented at an independent girls' school in Sydney, Australia. This paper reports on the results of a teacher survey conducted one year into the implementation of the program. Qualitative data were collected from 105 teachers on the perceived benefits and challenges of the…

The present paper explores some important social factors responsible for the low motivation of girls for primary education in the slum areas of Karachi, Pakistan. The objective of the study was to identify the challenges and social factors responsible for the low motivation of girls for education in the slums of Karachi. The study was qualitative…

This paper traces challenges faced by six Arab women from three different Arab localities -- Palestinian Arab society in Israel, Palestinian Authority territories, and Jordan -- on their path to appointment as school principals, investigating how they cope with the challenges involved in women's leadership in a patriarchal society. Qualitative…

Over the last decade it is young women who have come to be widely understood as the bearers of educational qualifications. It is girls who are now seen to have "the world at their feet" and to be able to attain the glittering prizes of academic success associated with elite universities and top occupations. And it is upper-middle-class…