The constitution of Pakistan requires the state to provide free primary and secondary education. At the time of independence Pakistan had only one university, the University of the Punjab. As of September 2011 it has 136 universities, of which 74 are public universities and 62 are private universities. It is estimated that there are 3193 technical and vocational institutions in Pakistan, and there are also madrassahs that provide free Islamic education and offer free board and lodging to students, who come mainly from the poorer strata of society. After criticism over terrorists' use of madrassahs for recruitment, efforts have been made to regulate them.
Education in Pakistan is divided into six main levels: pre-primary (preparatory classes); primary (grades one through five); middle (grades six through eight); high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary School Certificate); intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary (School) Certificate); and university programmes leading to graduate and postgraduate degrees. Pakistani private schools also operate a parallel secondary education system based on the curriculum set and administered by the Cambridge International Examinations. Some students choose to take the O level and A level exams conducted by the British Council.
The government is in a development stage, in which it is extending English medium education to all schools across the country. Meanwhile, by 2013 all educational institutions in Sindh will have to provide Chinese language courses, reflecting China's growing role as a superpower and Pakistan's close ties with China.
The literacy rate of the population above ten years of age in the country is 58.5%. Male literacy is 70.2% while female literacy rate is 46.3%. Literacy rates vary by region and particularly by sex; for instance, female literacy in tribal areas is 3%. The government launched a nationwide initiative in 1998 with the aim of eradicating
