Sir

The overhauling of Pakistan's academic institutions (Nature 461, 11–12; 2009; Nature 461, 38–39; 2009) would have been more effective and sustainable if policy-makers had opted instead for a two-pronged approach, promoting basic education alongside higher education.

Only 56% of children are enrolled in primary schools in Pakistan, compared with 83% in India, 94% in Iran and 98% in South Korea (see http://go.nature.com/RtyZks). These figures are lower for secondary schools, but Pakistan's are lowest by far. To increase enrolment in higher education, we have to increase the supply of potential candidates by investing more in primary and secondary schooling.

You mention that candidates for Pakistan's domestic PhD programmes are less well qualified than those going abroad. It is difficult to see how this situation will “correct itself”, as your Editorial claims, if “too many ill-prepared students [are] gaining doctorates”, as Athar Osama and colleagues suggest in their Opinion article. More than twice as many postgraduates are produced at home as abroad, and these are more likely to stay in the country to become future supervisors, so the cycle of poorly trained researchers is set to continue.

Pakistan's Higher Education Commission has not provided figures for the percentage of candidates who return to the country after studying abroad. If a substantial number decide to stay away, the reforms could backfire and boost the brain drain to developed countries.