ABSTRACT
In 1999 the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded the Aga Khan University—Institute for Education Development, Karachi, to document ‘best practices’ in community managed 1 education programs in the country for policy advocacy. More specifically, the study aimed to disseminate information about the typologies of community schools established in Sindh province and the Northern Areas of Pakistan, and study their effectiveness in improving access and quality of education in the disadvantaged areas of the two regions. The study had emerged in the context of increasing public-private partnership for the provision of education in the country, resulting in a high increase in the number of non-government organizations (NGOs) and community groups 2 participating in implementing a wide range of government and donor-supported educational initiatives. The research aimed to study the different models of community schools while focusing on four key themes (i.e., partnership arrangements, female participation in education, management and financing of schools).
