A Comparative Analysis of Foreign Aid's Impact on Secondary Education in Post-Earthquake Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

Following the devastating 2005 earthquake in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which killed thousands of students and teachers and destroyed school infrastructure, a massive influx of foreign aid was directed to the earthquake-affected zone for educational reconstruction. This study quantitatively compared secondary school enrolment and quality between the aid-receiving earthquake zone and the non-affected zone (which received only standard government funding) from 2006 to 2016. Analyzing official exam board data with statistical tests, the study concluded that the foreign aid had no significant effect on improving student enrolment or educational quality at the secondary level. Using official exam board data and statistical analysis (Independent-Sample T-Test), the study found that foreign aid had no significant effect on either student enrolment or the quality of education at the secondary school level over the eleven-year period.