Differences between Rural and

Urban Schools, Student

Characteristics, and Student
Aspirations

Abstract
EDUCATION is the only way through which we can move on to the path of
prosperity. It is the most important aspect in society development. School
has to play a major role in ensuring the success of the development. The
learning environments also have major roles to play in learning and the area
where the students' lives can determine their performance in their studies.
The purpose of the study: 1) To investigate the differences between students
performances in rural and urban areas. 2) To discuss the factors of low
performance among students in rural area. 3) To find ways to address the
achievement gap differences between rural and urban students. Research
questions are 1- what are the advantages of urban schools over rural
schools? 2- How does urban and rural setting affect learning? 3- What are the
differences between students performances in rural and urban areas? A
combination of the quantitative approach and the qualitative approach will
be use in this study. This paper specifically sought to identify factors that
contribute to the difference in performance between schools situated in
Urban Areas and those in Rural Areas

Key-words: EDUCATION, Rural and Urban Schools, students performances,

etc.

Background:
Taking into account the present needs of both the rural scholars and their schools,
relatively little systematic research will be done. This statement is supported by the
fact that less than 6% of research done in schools included rural schools, even as a
percentage of the sample. Families served by rural schools include families in socio-
economic distress as well as families led by single or under-educated parents
(Harder and Sullivan, 2008: 471). Beyond rural schools simply being
underrepresented, they often face serious resource issues, including a lack of
economic support from businesses and corporations (Ph.D 2012)

Objectives : This study has the objective of determining the Differences

between Rural and Urban Schools in Punjab, Pakistan and Student Characteristics.
The general objective of this research paper is to find out the reason behind low
quality of education in rural areas of Punjab Pakistan.

Hypothesis: this study aims to investigate the reasons of poor

quality education in rural areas of Punjab Pakistan and its
comparison with the educational system in urban areas and
higher standard schools of children.

Hypothetical statement:
1- 50% children in rural areas of punjab are getting good quality
of education.
2- there is not much difference between the schools of rural areas
and urban areas.
3- children are not interested go get education.
Introduction:
EDUCATION is the only way through which we can move on to the path of
prosperity. But, unfortunately, in Pakistan, particularly in rural areas of
Punjab, the education ministry has been a failure its because of the ministry
just spends 3% of the 100% budget. In rural areas of Punjab there are a large
number of primary schools which are not properly maintained by the local
area government. Primary education is the root of all educations men gets
throughout his life. In rural areas most of the Parents dont want their
childrens to study they either wants them to help them in their life or to join
any labor work from that they get some money. They feel that if a poor man
get primary education, it will be difficult for him to afford higher education.

The main factor is that the teachers are also not interested about
children education most of them are not well qualified most of the
teachers are lazy about their jobs they just want to get pay. Now a
days government of the Punjab has strict some rules for the rural
areas schools and they are trying to improve quality of the
education that has been delivered to the children in villages. Now
teachers are very regular and if someone gets lazy about it the
government quickly takes action against him.

Another factor about low level of education is that most of the

population in villages are belong to lower class they cannot afford
the higher standard schools and all they can afford is any
government primary school which is cheep the education over
there is very low quality so the child gets the education which is
not according to the modern age. Some of very few people can
afford the higher standard of schools and their children continue
to study.

Some schools are far away from few children to approach they
also left behind and they lost their interest in getting education all
these factors are effecting the literacy rate of Pakistan and this is
just because of the government in rural areas who do not invest in
education.

I would like to ask the government why these children are being punished for
being poor. Why they are being deprived of their basic right to education.
Pakistan is considered a backward country only because of low literacy rate.

Objectives:
The purpose of the study:
1) To investigate the differences between students performances in rural and
urban areas.
2) To discuss the factors of low performance among students in rural area.
3) To find ways to address the achievement gap differences between rural
and urban students.

Research questions:
1- What are the advantages of urban schools over rural schools?
2-
What are the conditions of schools rural areas as compared to cities?
2- How does rural setting affect learning of a student?

3- What are the differences between students performances in rural and

urban areas?
4- Why the students exchange
schools in rural areas?

Litterature review
A very famous and renowned saying is that If you want to destroy the future of any
nation, no need to wage war with them; defunct their education, they will remain no
more live on the map of the world. Pakistan is going through that crucial phase in
which the education department of the country is declining day by day instead of
being modernized and advanced and that is why Pakistan is still considered
amongst the developing countries of the world, although they have got the
independence some 60 years ago. Punjab is the province of Pakistan which
according to the stats has the highest Human Development Index as the literacy
rate in the province is 60.8% collectively, and if seen according to the Gender then
the literacy rate in male is 70% while in females is 51%.

Still Punjab is facing a lot of problems as far as the education system is being
concerned although a lot is being done by the provincial government. Here
are a few major problems of education in Punjab;

1. The very crucial and core problem in the education system is that
the medium of education is very much different if compared in the
private and government sector which has widened the gap of
advancement between the two sectors, making the government sector
very weak and outdated. Various educational boards like the British
Board comprising of O-Levels and A-Levels and the Punjab Board
comprising of Metric and Intermediate is creating vast differences in the
quality and standards of education and the remaining damage is being
done by the difference in English medium and Urdu medium teaching
styles in different schools.
2. The quality of education and the delivering style is not very much
helpful for the students as the credibility of the teachers which are being
appointed at the various government schools is being questioned and
hence the level of education is declining. At the same time the focus on
imparting the technological education is being neglected and still the
students are being taught and forced to study the outdated education
curriculum in Punjab which is not being revised according to the
modernization of the time.
3. Even in Punjab the gender discrimination is being observed in many
rural areas where the government has been failing in convincing the
parents to send their children to school, as in the rural areas of Punjab
still the ratio of boys and girls is 10:3 respectively which is very low.
4. The allocation of the budget for the education is very low in Punjab,
as the provincial government has still not shown a very positive intent to
improve the education level in the province as still a very limited and
insufficient budget is being allocated to the education ministry of the
province.

The education system of Pakistan is comprised of 260,903 institutions and is facilitating

41,018,384 students with the help of 1,535,461 teachers. The system includes 180,846 public
institutions and 80,057 private institutions. Hence 31% educational institutes are run by private
sector while 69% are public institutes.
 Ammar Sheikh
Published: March 4, 2016
Status of rural education: Public school enrolment has improved: report
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1058961/status-of-rural-education-public-
school-enrolment-has-improved-report/
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4 th, 2016.

Concluding Remarks
Questionaire :
Topic:
Differences between Rural and Urban Schools of Punjab Pakistan, Student
Characteristics, and Student interest towards studies.

Declaration:
It is hereby stated that the data collected through this questionnaire will solely be used for
research purpose on the topic of " Differences between Rural and Urban Schools of
Punjab Pakistan, Student Characteristics, and Student interest towards studies The
information received through this questionnaire will be completely confidential and only used for
academic purpose i.e. to project information on the above research topic.
The corpus of this research project is students of primary schools, and sampling data from the
students of urban and rural areas schools in punjab Pakistan

* Gender: - Male - Female

* Age group 10-12 12-14 14-16

1. Which of the following categories best describes your school?

-Government Public schools

-Private
-Other
2. How would you classify your school?
Rural Urban Suburban
3. How many students do you have in your class?
10- 20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60

4. Do you like to study?

Yes no sometimes
5. Do your parents force you to study?
Yes no sometimes
6. Do your teachers force you study hard?
Yes no sometimes

7. What do you want to be in your life?

Doctor engineer Teacher pilot other
8. Are you satisfied with the current situation of your school?
 Yes no

9. Do you want to study in city or in any private school?

Yes no

10. Do you want your school to be like private schools?

Yes no

11. Do you have these things in your schools

Computer library AC classrooms playground

12. Do you feel happy when you come to school?

Yes no sometimes

Questionnaire analysis:

The study revealed that students of primary schools in rural and urban areas of pendjab love
to study but as their ambitions and aims they are not getting good quality education. The
result was as expected the students in government sectors or schools wants to be treated like
the students in urban schools or the students of private schools. Many primary school
students want to study in private schools but they cannot afford the fesses and the distance.
they think that only the childrens of rich families can study in private sectors. The questions
were asked to 22 students who study in government primary schools in rural areas of
pendjab, and 8 students from private schools in urban areas of pendjab. The childrens in
government schools said that there are more than 50 students in their class rooms then again
the question is that how can a teacher deliver good quality education without heaving any
facilities in the schools. More than 50% students overall from rural and urban areas love to
go to the schools and enjoy their studies. Their parents and teacher force them to study all 30
students have given a statement that their parents and teachers force them to work hard in
their studies. The head of the schools is looking forward to the betterment and to improve the
system of primary schools in rural areas because he thinks that childrens are the future of
this country and we will give them many facilities they need and we will not make any
barrier in front of their aims, Out of 30 students 14 wants to become pilot 3 wants to become
doctor 6 wants to become teachers and 7 want to become engineer in their future life. More
than 20 students said that they want their schools to be like private schools and they want to
get good facilities like the students in private schools they want to learn through computers
because they like to work on computers its like their wish because they cannot afford it and
when the want to go to schools the want to avail the facility of computer. More than 50%
students said that they feel happy when they go to the schools. Considering the aims of little
students the government must take an action for the betterment of the primary schools in
rural areas of pendjab Pakistan not only pendjab but government should work for the
betterment of all the provinces of Pakistan. The Ministry of Education should regularly
inspect all schools. One of the benefits of this exercise would be to check whether educators
are teaching according to the prescribed curriculum. Heads of departments should ensure that
learning facilitation is carried out quickly and that appropriate materials are delivered to
learners on time.