of Education and Social Studies

In the present study, the researchers explored various factors that affected the female literacy rate in rural areas of district Kech. Females are considered to be the first educators of the new generation, and as well as the literacy of females is considered to be a significant symbol for the socio-economic development of any country. However, the nature of the present study was quantitative, and the research type was explanatory and exploratory. The universe of the study was the rural areas of district Kech. And sampling units were the heads of the female primary schools, teachers of female primary schools and parents of the females. Thus, convenience sampling was used to distribute the response, and the data collection tool was a structured questionnaire. The recommended sample was 230. Data were analyzed through SPSS software. The study's findings revealed various factors affecting the female literacy rate in rural areas of district Kech. The factors which affected the female literacy rate were; poor policy implementation, social and cultural norms, shortage of teachers, early age marriage, lack of awareness, parents’ negative attitude, long distance, domestic chores, ghost schools, poverty, lack of facilities, religion misinterpretation, teacher’s absenteeism, lack of infrastructure and buildings, illiterate parents, political interference, the security issue of rural areas. Government should provide basic facilities, better teacher training, technologically equipped classrooms and a school environment for quality education in rural areas of Kech.


INTRODUCTION
Education is essential for both males and females equally. Education plays a vital role in building up individual personalities very well and in a positive way. Both males and females play significant roles in order to develop any society. Females are the first educators of new generations; when the females are educated, the whole new generation is educated, and hence, female education is as important as males' education which is considered to be the breadwinner of the family. However, it is well-known that education plays a vital role in the development of any nation; it is the basic right of every individual, whether male or female. This right is justified by the Pakistan Constitution, which assures, according to article 25-A, that "The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law." On the other side, when it comes to see or glance the facts and figures which are released through various reports and research than it really shows hurting that the literacy rate of female is less than 50%. As per the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) data released by the government of Pakistan in 2020, the total literacy rate in Pakistan is 60%. Whereas the female literacy rate is 49% and the male literacy rate is 71% throughout the country. According to the same PSLM data, the female literacy rate in Balochistan is 27%. It shows the gloomy situation of female literacy in Balochistan (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2020).
The study by Ahmad et al. (2013) discovered that number one training is the maximum avoided part within the complete training system. The gadget receives poor finances, and it's also poorly controlled. Due to the fact there are political interferences within the system which breed corruption, favoritism and nepotism. These factors demand situations for the first-rate schooling device. Moreover, the gadget of supervision at the number one level is vulnerable and historically characterized. There may be no effective mechanism for instructor schooling. Teachers aren't educated on a persistent foundation; that's why they are no longer privy to brand-new techniques and methods. Mothers and fathers aren't satisfied with the first-rate education in government primary schools, so they do not send their children on an ordinary basis. The machine of tracking and checking at the primary level could be very bad in public sector faculties. Number one, school instructors are not paid well and are less influenced. The successive instructional rules didn't carry any advantageous modifications due to terrible implementation and evaluation mechanisms, and there is no evaluation of everyday foundations. The evaluation and curriculum of the number one training are previous in which most of the records and records is incorrect as well as it does now not meet countrywide and global standards because of which universalization of number one training isn't possible because it encourages cramming of the content material and deprives students of essential wondering, mirrored image, analysis and creativity in Pakistan (Ahmad et al., 2013).
However, Salik and Zhiyong (2014) explored various factors of female illiteracy. These include lack of awareness, poverty and domestic work are some of the major causes that prevent girls from entering higher educational institutions. Hence, the researchers will find out various factors which have deprived the females of rural areas of District Kech from getting education apart from the reasons mentioned above because the females of rural areas of Turbat are also not provided the most basic human rights, which is education and it will help them to find out choices of their own interest in order to live a confident life, and it will also help the country both socially and economically to be developed. The role of women cannot be denied in any field of life, so if females are educated, they will carry out their roles very well.

LITERATURE REVIEW
According to ADB (2000) women are treated differently in Pakistan as compared to western countries, the reason is that gender is one of the major organizing principles of Pakistan; further, in Pakistan, the home is considered as the ideological space for women where she performs all of her responsibilities while men are considered as the breadwinner that's why they are educated highly and more preferred and sources allocated in favor of sons for the same reasons. Females are only imparted with domestic skills to be good housewives, and they are given limited choices in their lives. Due to the same reason, there is gender disparity in the educational sector in rural areas of Pakistan (ADB, 2000). Gender disparity has a significant impact on the education sector of Pakistan, especially in rural areas; there is less enrolment rate of females in rural Pakistan as well as low qualifications of females low or no participation of females in learning activities; there should be a well-searched and implemented policies in order to overcome the low female literacy rate in rural Pakistan as well private education sector should also work in the same case. The female education budget should be increased to increase the female enrolment rate (Chaudhry & Rehman, 2009). Some certain misconceptions in the education system of choosing males over females need to be taken care of in order to increase the female literacy rate; the government of Pakistan should initiate an awareness campaign through print and electronic media regarding the importance of education so the rate of female enrolment could increase. The campaign's main goal should be on the importance of female education and how can educating females effectively contribute to every field of life. If the females are educated, an increase in the number of schools for females can make a significant impact on female education in rural areas; the reduction of distance between females' homes and the school can increase the female literacy rate, new school buildings with buses and other basic facilities can increase female literacy rate, the government of Pakistan should also decrease the cost of schooling at the middle level, another effective way of increasing female literacy rate is to provide more effective teachers. Moreover, there is a dire need to implement the national policy of education in every nook and cranny of the country to ensure that every female gets the opportunity to educate themselves (Afzal et al., 2013). Suleman et al. (2015) found that there were many factors which were; teachers' unpunctuality, schools' buildings and infrastructures were not feasible, poverty of parents, lack of basic resources, early marriages, lack of parents' concentration, parents' negative attitudes towards female education, illiterate parents, unskilled and incapable teachers and staff, lack of basic facilities for teachers; lack of proper security arrangement; and long distance to school etc. Uddin et al. (2021) found that female faces various obstacles and challenges due to social, economic, infrastructural, and administrative defaults. Sociocultural norms and taboos restricted females of many communities inside their homes and engaged the females in their domestic chores only. The misconception regarding female education, religious misunderstanding and wrong interpretations of religion regarding women's education, financial obstacles and lack of educational institutions are the factors that restrict women towards education. Kefayatullah et al. (2021) explored that the main elements which are affecting girl training in this region include the dearth of lady educational institutions, lack of female teaching workforce, insufficient delivery devices, terrible first-rate education, ineffective schooling regulations, and early marriage of women. Moreover, seventy-nine% of the pattern respondents have shown superb attitudes towards woman's schooling, and they have been demanded to offer these facilities for you to enhance the ratio of women to male training. determines literacy has a positive effect on toddler mortality rates, higher enrolment prices in provinces of Pakistan, particularly in Sindh and Baluchistan, because of dad and mom' illiteracy, socio-economic historical past is any other primary factor of lady illiteracy and college elements also play a critical function in education of women in Pakistan. Moreover, fundamental demanding situations like access to education, to improve satisfaction and the resources continue to be identical regardless of the notice. Authorities of Pakistan, alongside integration with donor companies, can commit identical interest to make sure that each character attends schools, the provision of skilled and properly paid instructors, affordable class length, ok hours of commands, materials of books and substances, a baby-friendly studying environment and robust community link can play a crucial function in woman literacy charge (Toor & Parveen, 2004).
Ara and Aziz (2013) made end after testing research questions and interpreting responses that there are many religious, political, social and monetary barriers within the way of woman's schooling and consequently, female students do not have the same instructional possibilities as male students and lady education is lacking behind, and as a result, the enrolment of lady students is decreasing. Furthermore, within the present situation of Karachi, stern security features have no longer been hired efficaciously for women to be not allowed to move freely and participate in instructional activities. furthermore, the socioeconomic repute of the dad and mom is one of the foremost factors that have an impact on the enrolment of girl college students due to the fact the parents do no longer want to spend on their daughters' education due to the fact they do no longer repay though many girls are getting breadwinners for his or her families they are nonetheless no longer provided same opportunities as of the male participants of the family. An inexpensive amount of price range can be allocated for enhancing the situation of girl education because there may be a want for the established order of more institutions and universities for women. A more influential cognizance marketing campaign can be run for the mother and father and different stakeholders of society. For the identical cause, the government must take some serious steps toward the safety of girls and female instructors, a good way to lessen dropout prices (Ara & Aziz, 2013).
According to Khan (2016), lady training in the Pashtun culture nonetheless faces blockages due to the fact that woman's education relies upon daddy training to a point; knowledgeable fathers permit their ladies to attain education as evaluate to the uneducated fathers as well as there are several different limitations to female education which include conventional norms and poverty. Moreover, the absence of female instructors and co-education in the universities additionally limit female from better schooling, and the enrolment of ladies in higher training remains low. The grounds of those cultural hurdles had been deeprooted gender discrimination based totally on the patriarchal structure of society as a whole, so the results also concluded that gender discrimination still persists in this society; as the fathers, regardless of their schooling fame, join their girls in authorities' faculties, they prefer to spend greater on their boys training in place of spending similarly on each. Consequently, to triumph over the gap in male and girl literacy fees, a number of the Pashtun society assured measures have to be taken with the aid of the government and the area people companies. Furthermore, schools, faculties and universities for women should be installed within the Pashtun populated areas so that a greater wide variety of women get enrolled. In the same situation, the handiest female body of workers and administration have to be employed in those faculties, along with it transport centers have to be provided to the females in all instructional institutes. To assist the participation of women within the field of training, scholarships need to be granted to them so that negative families additionally allow their youngsters to attend schools, schools and universities. furthermore, there may be a pressing need for a comprehensive women's schooling program national to be launched by the government, through which the mother and father and girls each need to additionally be knowledgeable approximately the importance and value of higher training for the girl (Khan, 2016). Akhtar (2015) had been inside the view that one-fourth numbers of faculties had land much less than one acre, for such schools 2nd campus could be advised on the opposite in majority colleges, librarian and computer assistant seats became not ratified if we want boundless use of library and computers, librarian and laptop technician seats need to be authorised, in addition to the presence of fully equipped science laboratory, library, computer lab and audio-visible room are the signal of fine, but in government colleges, the situation of these centers is alarming as there may be lack of efficiency. So, if the government of Pakistan wishes best training in public area faculties, facilities of science and pc lab and library should be more advantageous and useful resource room have to be inaugurated for present-day strategies of teaching in order that teachings mastering technique becomes extra powerful. additionally, it's been visible in the literature that mid-day meal is very critical to hold student's activeness for the complete day look at however alas most of the colleges did now not have proper constructing for the cafeteria, it has to be supported to plan the availability of right building of cafeteria to supply requisite meal to boom the strength and interest of the scholars in their study. Moreover, the majority of schools have been in arrears in school rooms and furnishings which is likewise an alarming situation. education branch should develop norms and standards for college infra-structure and should introduce Holistic facilities administrative technique and strict checking criteria for the ability management and for provision of additional budget, as well as the government have to offer direct funding to the faculty heads, and heads need to themselves try to generate the resources with the help of faculty Council and try and overhaul the conditions of the building and try and increase the wholesome environment through their private interest by the use of student's budget (Akhtar, 2015).
According to Tunio et al. (2015), training prepares participants of society to achieve societal dreams; training in all its paperwork, whether it's miles formal or casual, helps to develop personality and capabilities to fit in society. Moreover, Pakistan is an Islamic country; Islam makes it obligatory for all Muslims to get an education; however, the veil (Purdah) machine restricts the unfastened mobility of women. In traditional societies and in villages wherein there's no availability of schools, girls are unable to acquire formal training, that's why there's a loss of woman's literacy charge in most of the regions of Pakistan. Within the same context, illiteracy has become the destination of females and begets domestic violence and honor killing. subsequently, television as a medium of verbal exchange may be high-quality used to inform girls approximately women's human rights and corporations working for girls correct; via instructional and informative programs telecasted on television channels, women can get simple information about math, language and technology, news, talk suggests, dramas and other packages now not best offer entertainment but records. Operating, unbiased and knowledgeable women proven on tv can motivate a girl to get training and work for them correctly (Tunio et al., 2015).

METHODOLOGY
A quantitative approach was used to conduct the present study. The type of research was explanatory and exploratory. However, data were collected through a structured questionnaire in which a five-point Likert scale was used with response options, i.e., 1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disagree, 3. Neutral, 4. Agree, and 5. Strongly Agree was designated. And questionnaire also contained close and ended questions and openended questions. Cronbach's Alpha test was applied for the reliability of the Likert scale, and the scale was found to be good (0.8). The universe of the study was the rural areas of district Kech. The target population of the study was female primary school heads, female primary school teachers, and parents situated in the rural areas of district Kech. A total sample was taken 231; among these, 75 heads of female primary schools, 85 female primary school teachers and 70 parents for the present study. Thus, data were collected through convenience sampling from the selected universe of the study. However, data were analyzed using SPSS software. Univariate tables were generated to know the cumulative response options, and bivariate tables were generated to know the relationships among the variables.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The aim of the study was to discover the factors that are affecting girls' education in rural areas of District Kech. However, various factors were found to be responsible for girls' education in rural areas through a quantitative research approach. The nature of the study was explanatory and exploratory. The researcher applied a structured questionnaire for the collection of data, and data was analyzed through SPSS. The details of the data are described below through univariate and bivariate tables. The statistical result of Table 1 depicts that the calculated value of chi-square 21.381 is greater than the table value of chi-square 15.51 at the level of significance 0.05 and degree of freedom 8. Thus, it shows a significant relationship exists between religious misinterpretations and female education in rural areas of Kech. The opinion of the Heads, Teachers and parents are quite similar in that low female literacy is due to religious misinterpretations, like females are not allowed to go out of their homes. Such kinds of opinions have prevented parents from sending their daughters to education, and even females restricted themselves from education because of such interpretations of religion.
The statistical result of Table 2 demonstrates that the calculated value of chi-square 30.800 is greater than the table value of chi-square at the level of significance 0.05 and degree of freedom 8. Thus, it means that a significant relationship exists between the opinions of heads, teachers, parents and early age marriage as an obstacle in front of girls' education in rural areas of district Kech. Hence, it is clear that the parents prefer early age marriages of their daughters in far-flung areas of the district Kech rather than education, which is considered normal practice in the society. The statistical result of Table 3 reveals that the calculated value of chi-square 33.460 is greater than the table value of chi-square at the level of significance 0.05 and degree of freedom 8. Thus, it means that a significant relationship exists between the opinions of heads, teachers, and parents and the awareness of the parents towards the girls' education in rural areas of district Kech. Hence, the ratio of awareness regarding females' education, and its importance is quite low among the people and parents in the remote areas of district Kech, and this created a hurdle in the way of female education. The statistical result of Table 4 discloses that the calculated value of chi-square 16.902 is greater than the table value of chi-square at the level of significance 0.05 and degree of freedom 8. Thus, it means that a significant relationship exists between the opinions of heads, teachers, parents and parents' negative attitude towards the girls' education in rural areas of district Kech. Hence, it is obvious from the statistical result that parents attitude is negative for the girls education. They do not allow their daughters to go to schools, colleges or universities due to various factors.
The statistical result of Table 5 shows that the calculated value of chi-square 21.001 is greater than the table value of chi-square 15.51 at the degree of freedom 8 and level of significance 0.05. Thus, it is proved that a significant relationship exists between the opinions of respondents and long-distance schools. Hence, the long distance of the school is a factor in the low literacy rate for the females in rural areas of district Kech. Parents do not send their daughters to schools due to the long distance of schools from their homes. The statistical result of Table 6 depicts that the calculated value of the chi-square 25.511 is greater than the table value of chi-square 15.51 at the degree of freedom 8 and level of significance 0.05. However, the result confirmed that a significant relationship exists between the opinions of heads, teachers and parents and cultural norms and values regarding female education. Because cultural norms and values do not allow females to go outside their homes and restrict female because of cultural rigidity. This is a factor of female illiteracy or a low level of female participation in schooling in rural areas of district Kech.
The statistical result of Table 7 illustrates that the calculated value of the chi-square 26.459 is greater than the table value of chi-square 15.51 at the degree of freedom 8 and level of significance 0.05. Thus, there is a significant relationship between the opinions of heads, teachers, parents and poverty toward female education. It is quite clear from the result that due to the high poverty rate in rural areas, parents cannot afford to enroll or send their daughters to schools. Thus, researchers concluded that poverty is a reason for the low rate of female education in rural areas of district Kech.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Female education is as important as males, and females also play the same important role in society as males, but as we talk about the underdeveloped countries like Pakistan where the female literacy rate is lesser, especially in rural areas of Kech, who are deprived of education. As the research paper focuses on the female literacy rate among females in rural areas of Kech where the female education situation is very deteriorating. The result of this research paper shows that females in rural Kech face many problems in getting an education, such as lack of awareness and lack of efficiency, which are some of the basic reasons behind the female literacy rate. Moreover, the findings of this research show that ghost schools or long distances to school are some of the major causes that compel females not to get an education. The coschooling after the middle classes is also a drawback in female literacy. Most of the schools in rural Kech are deprived of the basic facilities, according to the respondents and as well as there is a need for more teachers who need to be well trained in the teaching methodologies so that they develop the interest of female students and the national literacy rate of females get higher, and they will also be able to put their contribution in the development of the country.
Furthermore, lack of awareness about girls' education is another reason in rural areas due to which the female literacy rate is lacking much behind then the male literacy rate in rural areas of Kech. There is gender disparity in rural families of areas as they allow their sons too get an education and send them to the city or other developed areas where they get higher education, but girls are not allowed to go to other areas to pursue their education after getting primary education. After observing the very little number of females who have come to Turbat city to continue their education after primary only because their families have shifted to the city after certain circumstances, according to them, they were provided only primary education till the fifth standard and that there was only one teacher for the whole school and after primary school, middle school has emerged with boys schools where the teachers were males, and most of the females were compel to leave the schools for the same reason. According to the respondents, lack of efficiency was another reason females sat in homes doing only household chores after the primary classes because there were no basic facilities, even in most cases; the school buildings were not fully equipped with basic facilities like desks, blackboards or whiteboard, chalk or duster. Thus, the researchers concluded that poor policy implementation, social norms, shortage of teachers, early age marriage, lack of awareness, parents' negative attitude, long distance, domestic chores, cultural norms and values, ghost schools, poverty, lack of facilities, religion misinterpretation, teacher's absenteeism, lack of infrastructure and buildings, illiterate parents, political interference, security issue are the factors affecting female education in rural areas of district Kech.
After the data collection and analyzes, as well as observations of the researchers, some recommendations are put forward for the government and educational policymakers for better and quality education for females in rural areas of district Kech. These are mentioned below: 1. The government should provide school buildings, facilities and school infrastructure in every rural area so that every girl gets a chance to attend schools in their own area.
2. The government should provide trained teachers who would develop the interest of students in the learning process rather than taking an interest in household chores.
3. Advanced facilities like projectors, multimedia, computers, and playgrounds should be provided for girls separately so that they can be physically and mentally healthy.
4. The government, NGOs and media should conduct awareness programs for the parents who do not allow their daughters to get an education, and the importance of education should be highlighted through television, radio or other available and accessible sources.
5. Religious missionaries should be taken into accountability for the wrong interpretation of religion regarding female education by the government, and the government should take these religious missionaries as a tool to spread awareness of the importance of female education.
6. Early age marriage policy should be strictly throughout rural areas.
7. Socio-cultural norms and societal stereotyping regarding female education be filtered through mass campaigning regarding the importance of female education and female as nation builders.