The Future of Education

Despite global commitments to universal primary education, student attrition remains persistent in rural patriarchal contexts. In Pakistan, particularly in District Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a substantial proportion of children withdraw prematurely at the primary level. This study addresses that gap by examining how school-related constraints and economic hardships are negotiated within households governed by patriarchal authority, Pukhtunwali norms, and gendered agency. Using a mixed-methods design, the study integrates survey data from 420 households with in-depth qualitative interviews from diverse respondents. Quantitative analysis employed regression, mediation, and moderation models in SPSS, Qualitative interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded; reflective thematic analysis was then conducted using NVivo. Findings reveal a Powerless Preference Paradox, where Patriarchal Authority (β = .354) emerges as the strongest predictor of dropout, rendering pro-education family values statistically insignificant once power dynamics are activated. Qualitative narratives confirm that while education is often valued in principle, the patriarch’s veto finalizes withdrawal decisions. Family Discussion (β = .268) functions as a reactive crisis indicator, intensifying only after dropout becomes imminent. Mediation results show that 38–44% of school-based and socioeconomic risk is transmitted through internal household structures, primarily via authoritarian enforcement (B = 0.347) and passive de-facto absorption of children into domestic labor (B = 1.011). Moreover Mother’s education does not weaken patriarchal authority (p = .489) but significantly institutionalizes household rules beyond the secondary level (p < .001), forming an “Agency Gradient. Girls face significantly higher dropout risk (B = 16.66). Effective policy must therefore move beyond infrastructure toward targeted interventions within the household decision-making core.