Muslims, Markets, and the Meaning of a “Good” Education in Pakistan

This paper examines the nature of local educational demands in Pakistan. I draw on a survey of parents in and around the city of Rawalpindi, and show that parents favor religious education, as opposed to secular education, far more than international education-sector reformers have generally been inclined to expect. This raises complex questions regarding the implications of “market-oriented” educational reforms in Pakistan and, possibly, other parts of the Muslim world.