Female literacy in Pakistan is among the lowest in the world. In 1981, the literacy rate was 16 percent for females, and 7.3 percent for rural women. Distance education can effect many social changes. Females would be the main beneficiaries because it is not socially acceptable for girls to leave home for education; parents do not like coeducational schools; social attitudes do not permit school education for girls on the conviction that any freedom to go out will result in sexual involvement with males; and women with low levels of education are stigmatized and accorded low social status. Both rural and urban conditions can be improved by providing women with integrated programs in hygiene, food, health, and basic and vocational education, as well as professional training in the sciences, trades, and industry. Problems with Pakistan's distance education system include the lack of opportunity for question and answer sessions; no provision to make up missed classes; absence of teachers to advise students on the use of the materials; lack of competition; lack of competent teachers; corruption and poor funding, resulting in nonavailability of materials in libraries; low standards, resulting in receipt of degrees without corresponding learning; lack of facilities for lab work in science and technical training; lack of rights to duplicate costly foreign video materials. (TD)

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