Pre-school Education in Bahawalpur - A Situational Analysis of Private and Government Schools

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fans

Pre-school education builds foundations for children’s next learning stages, influencing parents’ school choices between private and government options in Bahawalpur. A survey-based study examines the current status of pre-school education in both school systems, using questionnaires for teachers and checklists for school heads. Data from 298 school heads and 298 pre-school teachers show inadequate conditions for quality education, including unsuitable teacher-student ratios and overcrowded classrooms. Although government schools have more qualified teachers, they lag in classroom outlook, parental involvement, planning and monitoring, pedagogical techniques, co-curricular activities, and teacher motivation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Purpose and significance of pre-school education

Conditions for quality pre-schools

Pre-school Education in Bahawalpur: A Situational Analysis of Private and Government Schools Nasreen Akhter * Abstract Pre-school education prepares students for next stages. Therefore, parents consider certain factors before choosing schools for their children. A trend to prefer private schools than government schools for children has grown up rapidly in Bahawalpur. This has attracted researchers to study the factors behind the success of private in comparison to government schools. The present study aims to analyze the current position of pre-school education in government and private schools of Bahawalpur. This study was completed by a survey method. Questionnaire for teachers and a checklist for school heads were the tools of this study. The sample of this study was 298 school heads and 298 pre-school teachers teaching to the nursery, prep and Kindergarten classes. The results of the study indicated that all schools had not an ideal situation for quality pre-school education.Teacher-student ratio was not appropriate in government and private schools according to the requirements of effective pre-school education. Classrooms were overcrowded in both government and private schools. Majority of schools had more than 25 students in a section. A maximum number of students observed in a section was 50 in private and 70 in government schools. Results indicated that government schools had more qualified teachers in comparison to private schools. But these schools were found weak in comparison to private schools about classroom out/look, parents’ involvement, planning, monitoring, pedagogical techniques applied in schools, co-curricular activities and motivation of teachers.A major weakness in private schools was observed that majority of teachers had no training in teaching. So, this study has suggested the authorities to take actions to improve the pre-school level education. Keywords: Pre-school Education, Kindergarten (KG), Nursery, Prep, Government Schools, Quality Education. * Assistant Professor, Department of Education, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur. Email: [drnasreenakhtar01@gmail.com](drnasreenakhtar01@gmail.com) Introduction Pre-school educationthat starts before primary stage of educationpurposes to train academic, social, emotional, linguistic and literacy skills of children (Justice &Vukelich, 2008) . According to Monrose and Rubin (2000), nursery school, day care center and kindergarten are types of pre-schools. In the views of Schaefer and Cohen (2000), preschool entry is normally wellsuitable for children of three to five years of age. According to Leu and Price (2005) effective pre-school education helps children to attain better in future education (Wana, 2010) . On the other hand, researches also have supported a view that children who attended poor quality pre-schools in childhood performed worse in primary school and showed more behavioral problems in class than those who spent their early years at home (Sutherland, 2000) . Therefore, pre-school education only benefits when quality education is provided in schools. In cases where quality pre-school education is not available, children get better training at home rather than sending them to poor quality and substandard schools. So, researches on pre-school education have concluded some salient conditions for the quality education. Parents should analyze the school before admission of their children in a school. Some significant measures for the qualitypre-schools have described by the experts. A brief review hasgivenin the next. Quality schools appoint educated and trained staff for schools. Burchinal et. al.(2002) observed that teachers of pre-schools offer quality education on worldwide measures who have specified training in pre-school level teaching. They are more delicate and teach according to age, psychology and needs of students. Teachers of pre-schools prove themselves encouraging and more receptive while teaching in small

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study in Bahawalpur?

To analyze the current position of pre-school education in government and private schools of Bahawalpur and compare how each supports quality early learning.

What methods and sample size were used?

The study used a survey method with teacher questionnaires and a checklist for school heads, involving 298 school heads and 298 pre-school teachers.

What key quality issues were found in government and private schools?

Both systems showed unsuitable teacher-student ratios and overcrowded classrooms, with many sections exceeding 25 students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fans