Education in Pakistan is compulsory up to age 16 according to the constitution. It involves both formal instruction in schools as well as informal learning, with the goal of facilitating the acquisition of knowledge, skills, beliefs and habits. Education is commonly divided into stages like preschool, primary school, secondary school, and university. Empowering women and girls through education is particularly important, as female literacy and education leads to benefits like higher earnings, lower child mortality rates, and increased likelihood that children will attend school themselves.