Pakistan has been facing a plethora of challenges which have impacted the education sector massively in core areas of access, equity and quality. Among these challenges, out of school children, learning losses due to unprecedented circumstances such as COVID-19, the monster floods, displacements etc. and the overall learning poverty in the education sector, especially foundational learning have ...

 Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) runs a skill development training in Aman Garh, Rahim Yar Khan for a group of minority adolescent girls under the Siyani Sahelian initiative powered by FCDO

 Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) brings 21st century skills to adolescent girls in partnership with CIRCLE Women.

 Learning about computers has always been a dream of mine. I have 3 brothers and my father is a carriage driver. It is not always steady money and because of lack of resources I only got an education till Matric. 

I learnt about the WordPress course being offered for young girls through my neighbors. I have always wanted to learn about computers and have previously only used t ...

 We are a big family of 6 siblings. My father is a welder and I have done my Inter. My father is a hard worker, but we do not have enough financial resources to afford studies of all my siblings and myself and I had to drop-out. 

 My father was a gardener at the rangers and retired some time back. I have done my BA and after that had to leave my studies. After dropping out I learnt the skill of hand embroidery as I do not like sitting idle. My family is very supportive, but we have many mouths to feed and with little family income coming in, life is not always easy. 

 My name is Ayesha. I belong to a minority group and because of that I have always felt different. My sisters and peers always stand out when compared to girls from my village who are my age. We have a hard life, and our days are very busy. We start the day early in the morning by going to the fields and harvesting crops. It is not an easy job and by the time we get back, we are very tired ...

 My name is Iqra Munir. I am part of the Digital Training course at ITA, powered by CIRCLE Women. Previously I had done my Inter in Physics and Chemistry. Computers was something that I was always interested in, but I never had access to resources to help me learn.

 My name is Kashaf Iqbal. I belong to a Syed family and we live in a small village near Bahawalpur. I am enrolled in the Matric program run by ITA and am also part of the EDGE program, powered by ITA & British Council, as a Club Member. At the EDGE meetups, I am honing my spoken English skills and I am working on my computer and social skills. I like using computers, but my favorite pa ...

Abstract: This NORRAG Highlights features guest author Zain ul Abidin, a Policy Researcher at Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi Center of Education and Consciousness. Abidin describes the strong presence and role of non-state actors in education in the global south, particularly in South Asia. Amidst the global pandemic, survival of many non-state schools is at risk. Is there potential to develop a safet ...

 COVID-19 context

Pakistan has the second largest number of out-of-school girls after Nigeria3 . The COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the status of girls’ education in the country, leaving millions of girls at the risk of never returning to school and losing half of their total years of education. After this period of pandemic, national and provincial statistics in Paki ...

Pakistan, home to 210 million people, is a paradox of conflicting realities. It has crossed global milestones, with Malala Yousufzai, the youngest girl at age 17, becoming a Nobel Peace Prize winner for championing girls’ education. Yet, Pakistan also has the second largest number of girls out-of-school in the world after Nigeria. In South Asia, it is only second to Afghanistan for the lo ...

Several months after it first hit globally, governments and experts across the world have now finally begun to register the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. Education for children has emerged as a major casualty, particularly in the Global South where many countries were already struggling with learning crises. The school closures, limited access to online learning, ...

39pc of youth are employed, 57pc are neither working nor seeking jobs, and only 4pc are unemployed and actively looking for work

At this moment, Pakistan possesses the largest generation of youth in its history. Close to 64 per cent of the country’s population is younger than 30, while 29 per cent are aged 15-29 (Pakistan National Human Development Report, 2017). This proportion i ...

Over the recent past, reform efforts and interventions in education sector have been underway across the country and particularly in Punjab. These interventions have achieved some progress in terms of education indicators but there is still a long way to go when it comes to fulfilling the constitutionally guaranteed Right to Education. Within the context of Pakistan’s commitments to the S ...

  SAMRA stretches her arms, as do the other schoolgirls during their morning assembly energiser activity. They jump, twist and clap. In several other schools in Muzaffargarh and Rahim Yar Khan, girls like Samra prepare interactive role-playing activities, plays and presentations regularly each morning. The administration and teachers think that this helps to refresh students’ minds a ...

 My life took a 180 degree shift last year when my father divorced my mother. My mother was not educated and thus it was difficult for her to find good work. She took care of us by working at different houses. It was not easy or dignified work but did get some food on our table. 

I had done ICS but could not continue with my studies. I love computers and hope ...

 I was 19 when I got married. A year later I am a mother of a little boy. My husband is a laborer and we live in a small village with limited resources and few opportunities. We do not have a steady or hefty household income coming in. 

When I heard about the trade of Khussa Making being offered in our village, I jumped at the opportunity. I want to learn som ...

 My father is a laborer and the sole wage earner in my family. We are 7 siblings and there are days when we don’t have food to put on the table. My family is also very conservative. They feel that all opportunities for growth are for the men in the family and do not support education for females. 

My mother is a very strong lady. She stitches clothes, a ...

 I belong to a very poor family in a small village in the district of Rahim Yar Khan. I always wanted to study but because of reservations from my family and bad financial conditions, I was not able to enroll in school or get an education. We are 2 sisters and my father never had a steady job. 

I was 16 years old when I was married off to a man based in Sialk ...

 I was previously living in Lahore with my family. A few years back my parents passed away in an accident. Me and my sister had to come live with an uncle of ours in a small village in the outskirts of Bahawalpur. I used to go to school back home but over here, had to drop out. I did not like this new place and missed my parents and Lahore. 

A few months back ...

 My name is Kiran. I belong to a small village in the district of Muzaffargarh called Jaggat Pur. We are 6 siblings and my father is a laborer by profession and the sole wage earner in our household. With limited finances, I had to drop out of school and started working in the fields to support my family. I always wanted to continue with my studies, but by that time it felt like an impossi ...

 I am the oldest out of all my siblings. My father is a laborer and with limited financial resources and being a girl, I have always felt like a burden on my family. Belonging to a small village (Mehray Wala) in the district of Muzaffargarh, Pakistan, I have always seen that the needs of men are always given preference; their aspirations, their dreams. Any aspirations a woman might have ar ...

LAHORE: Despite a lapse of complete 10 years no provincial government or federating unit, except for Sindh, has made Right to Education (RTE) law a reality exposing widespread apathy among those at the helm vis-à-vis rights and public-int ...

Education is recognized as a fundamental right of all children and the same has been acknowledged in Sustainable Development Goals 2030 under goal 4 and in our constitution under Article 25-A. This means that by 2030, all children should receive quality education and have lifelong opportunities to have decent jobs so that they may earn with dignity and become a respo ...

 Zara is nine years old. She remains confused about learning after a tough four years in school without really understanding how to learn. Zara is and one of the 617 million children in school and struggling to learn, globally, according to Unesco.

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 Where do I start to tell my story? I have been a teacher for nearly 30 years. As a fresh graduate out of college, I was asked to join my alma mater as a teacher in their senior school. Everyday, I faced a class of nearly 45 students barely 4 to 6 years younger to me. But, I had always been passionate about teaching and here I was enthusiastically being a teacher and becoming more and more ...

 I have been told to write about a teacher who left a lasting impression on me. How can I write about one; there were so many who chiseled me into who I am today, each one in her own way. What they all had in common was a respect for the student. Mrs. Hayat was my teacher in class three. After Montessori, my interest in studying was waning. Until Mrs. Hayat came along. Her methods were jus ...

 It is commonly believed that people who do their Masters degree in Urdu, Islamic Studies or Persian are sort of at a lower rung of the ladder, incapable etc. That is precisely why I chose to do my Masters in Urdu__ no, not because I was incapable but because the choice seemed like a nice and rebellious one! But seriously, I studied and taught Urdu because I wanted us to take pride in our ...

 I am so glad to have an opportunity to look back at my time as a school girl because it gives me such pleasure to look back at those days and really brings a smile on my face. My piece is about my teacher of English, Mr. Dolmen at my school, Karachi Grammar School. I used to look forward to the English class and always felt comfortable and relaxed in this class because of the approach and ...

 At 17 I was an angry, passionate out of control undisciplined lover of literature. Sussanah Harris Wilson was my literature and drama teacher. Watching her dive into the English language excited and inspired me. I followed after her. She taught by example. She was always accessible in and out of the classroom and felt the potential in every student to fall in love with the imagery and pow ...

This poem is dedicated to Hafeez Taib, who is a respected name in Urdu ghazal and naat (verse in praise of Prophet Muhammad SAW). He served as a teacher and as the Head of the Department in the Punjabi Department, Punjab University. I was never fortunate enough to have studied under him, but I have an indirect link with him due to my dear friend Dr. Nabeela Rehman. He was a great poet of ghazal ...

 It was the first day of my first job as a teacher in a private school in Lahore. I was extremely tired. I thought I would not be able to continue. 'Just go through the day somehow and say goodbye to the job tomorrow', I said to myself. As a new teacher I was being sent to different classes to substitute for absent teachers. “Just keep the kids in the class till the next period&rdquo ...

 I will share with you some reflections, some memories from my days as a student and my experiences as a teacher. Beneath these brief anecdotes are layers of meaning that I leave you to unravel.  Syed Wazir-ul-Hassan Abidi was my teacher at the Punjab University when I was doing my Masters in Persian. He would not allow any student to enter the class unless the student had a question, ...

 “My name is Misbah Riaz and I am 18 years old. I am the eldest of my three siblings. My father works as a van driver and is often unable to meet the financial needs of the family. When I was growing up, about a year after I was born, my mother tells me that I caught a high-grade fever that continued for a long period of time. Few months into my illness, I was diagnosed with polio. Read More

Ms. Sajida is a very worried teacher of grade 10, as is her colleague Ms. Najma teaching grade 8 at a government girls high school in Bahawalpur district. Ten girls did not return to school after the summer vacations. The teachers waited for a week, thinking delayed attendance is often the post vacation pattern, and then, both went to the homes of their students who were their shining stars in ...

 Zara is 9 years old; she remains confused about learning after a tough four years in school without really understanding how to learn. She is part of a large statistic in Pakistan one of those children going to school but not necessarily learning joining globally 617 children in school and struggling to learn (UNESCO 2017). Zara has three friends; Sara who is not in school as she dropped ...

I became a victim of early marriage at the age of 16. Just within a year, my first baby was born who was soon diagnosed with several health complications resulting from malnourishment. My husband is a rickshaw driver who does not earn enough to sustain the livelihood of the family.   Ever since I was a child, I dreamt of enrolling in school so I could learn to read and write and do someth ...

 One of the primary focus of the Siyani Sahelian initiative is to make education an all-inclusive medium for most marginalized girls across South Punjab. As a foremost priority, females, irrespective of their limitations, are provided with a second chance, quality education at free of cost.

Meet 9-year old Kohnain Altaf from Moza Channa District Rahim Yar Khan

At the age of 7, both her parents passed away leaving Kohnain with her aunt, the only guardian at that time. With the desire to enroll in school growing with each passing day, the dream shattered when her aunt refused believing that Kohnain was underage. Not realizing that the Article 25A Right to Education accordin ...

In light of the #MeToo movement, we have seen a number of women coming up with their unfortunate experiences of harassment. However, rarely do we get to hear about psychological trauma faced by adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds.   The story of Shazia, a grade 6 student from South Punjab is among the numerous other stories that often go unreported. Married off at the age of 13, ...

 Over the last decade, countries across the globe have decided to actively pursue the provision of rights to differently-abled children as the main agenda in all developmental plans. This is also manifested in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the declaration of Global Disability Summit 2018. Amongst these rights, the main focus has been placed on the provision of ...

 Regular monitoring of children’s school attendance and evaluation of their progress is important for teachers and educators, as well as for school inspectors, educational planners and policymakers. Data on attendance and learning outcomes helps evaluate the effectiveness of education systems in responding to diverse learning needs. Historically, children with disabilities have remai ...

"My brother was so angry with my 'bhabi' advocating for my education that he beat her right in front of me"

From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence ag ...

 "My parents feared a broken-engagement would make me undesirable for marriage and would bring dishonor to the family"

From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to ...

From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This year’s theme is to “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of ...

From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This year’s theme is to “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of ...

From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This year’s theme is to “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of ...

From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This year’s theme is to “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of ...

Ever since the inception of Pakistan, the laws regarding the persons with disability have seen a lag. While today, the discussion around disability is at the forefront and the priority of many, there has been a plethora of struggles that the persons with disability saw to get their voices heard.

Several laws have been passed to preserve the rights for all in general, and for those with ...

Saima Saleem stands as a role model for women to stand up for their rights. Being blind and a woman, made her more susceptible to discrimination in our society. However, this did not hold her back to stand up for her rights.

Like her sister and brother, Saima was born blind but with a strong determination to excel. Saima has an M.Phil. in English Lit ...

Umaima is from a humble background where her father supports her family of five on a small income. With the limited salary, Umaima’s father was unable to support her desire for a quality higher education. Umaima has always had a passion for art and creativity, which her family acknowledged and supported after realizing ...

Salva Robab Chohan belongs to a middle-class family from Sialkot city. Her father is a driver. She is the eldest of her siblings, with two younger sisters who are able to continue their studies because of the scholarships offered by the NTS. The children know that they belong to a self-made family and have faced many hardships, thus taking a keen interest in their studies to get scholarships on ...

In a small village of Mirpurkhas lives a family with four sons and daughters, of which the eldest in Aiman. Aiman’s father runs a small store with which he supports his entire family. Considering her financial constraints and her background from a family that doesn’t see value in girls’ education, Aiman never dreamt she would be able to continue her studies. Despite this, she ...

From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This year’s theme is to “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work”. These 16 days we will be sharing th ...

Aasoo, born in a peasant family in a village Meena Ji Dhani near Umerkot in the province of Sindh is the only girl from her village to have received formal education. Known as Aasu Bai, the reason Aasoo received education was her disability, which for many becomes the reason for not receiving education. At the age of five due to receiving an injection from a quack (which is a common practice in ...

Iram* Shahzadi lives with her family in Bahawalpur. Her father is blind, her mother is suffering from a serious kidney disease, and her siblings have either moved away or are younger than her. This combination makes earning even basic livelihoods for the family a huge challenge. As a result, Iram dropped out of school 7 years ago to run the family shop full-time instead. She h ...

Meet Ms. Noreena Shams -an awesome Young Leader, the Iron Woman in Sports from Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa!  Enough is Enough! Sixteen Days of Activism! 2018 Ending Gender Based Violence Against Women in Pakistan!

Today I am simply sharing this from Wikipedia about this amazing Pakistani Sportswoman Young Leader & Champion Noreena ...

 From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This year’s theme is to “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work”. These 16 days we will be s ...

Saluting-Mahjabeen today, a 33 year old female teacher who commutes on a motorbike daily to teach her students in DG Khan South Punjab, Pakistan. She has Broken ALL Boundaries for her passion to teach! 

These subaltern stories reaffirm our confidence in the art of the possible! For Mahjabeen Burqa gives her protect ...

From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This years’ theme is to “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work”. These 16 days we will be sharing ...

From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Viol ...

Our Sub-Altern Heroes of Pakistan-Nargis Hameedullah! 19 Years old Karate Champion Quetta, Balochistan - Defying Traditions for National Pride!

“I always wanted to be the one to bring about a change,” Nargis told Al Jazeera. “I’m very happy to be able to write my name in history”. Oh there are so many Firsts for Nargis Hameedullah and for Pakistan! Nargis a ...

16 Days of Activism begins today across the world and in Pakistan. From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This years’ theme is to “End Gender-Based Vio ...

'To teach is to touch a life forever'. This saying, no matter how simple it may appear, has a powerful and deep meaning. Teachers are influencers who can impact the lives of their students in ways that only few can even imagine. Apart from family, teachers are the ones who spend most time with children, and hence their ability to provide recommendation to parents is extremely valuable. He ...

 With respect to disability and particularly education of persons with disability, Pakistan has witnessed periods of efforts and periods of silence. The first ever action taken regarding disability was under the report on National Commission on Education in 1959, according to which vocational educational services be provided to people with disabilities (UNICEF, 2003). The country saw its f ...

"We shall absolutely ALL vote in the coming general elections!” they spoke in spontaneous chorus; they also shared their preferred party! These group of women in Gul Abad village Mardan district, were indeed very perky. They demanded 'what about our needs for literacy and numeracy, why are we being ignored?". They fully endorsed their young girls a ...

Mohsin sat on the edge in the middle of the class, but was unable to connect and I also could not make eye contact with Fatima Zahra sitting in the last row.  Fatima struggled with tens and units whilst Mohsin sat passively until someone said ‘oh mam he loves to come here but he is a slow learner’.   My instincts as an educator trained in principles of i ...

 On 27th January, the event, hosted by Prime Minister of Pakistan, launched Volume I of the 'Powering Pakistan for the 21st Century' report by “Pakistan Alliance for Math & Science”. Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi is a proud member of this alliance. Volume I is titled, "How Maths and Science Powers Nations" and presents the case for maths and ...

 On 27th January, the event, hosted by Prime Minister of Pakistan, launched Volume I of the 'Powering Pakistan for the 21st Century' report by “Pakistan Alliance for Math & Science”. Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi is a proud member of this alliance. Volume I is titled, "How Maths and Science Powers Nations" and presents the case for maths and ...

Education is an immensely powerful instrument of socio-economic and political change connected to global, technological and democratic developments. Since the inception of Pakistan, it has been evident that the task of nation building cannot be achieved without an educated and skilled workforce. Various efforts have been made since 1947 to not only highlight the imp ...

Article 25-A of the constitution of Pakistan stipulates that the provincial governments provide free and compulsory education to all children between the ages 5-16 years.  Pakistan, a country marred by education crisis has allocated a meager budget - only 2% of the GDP - to education. It is hence not surprising that Pakistan failed to achieve the Millennium Dev ...

Education plays an essential role in sustainable development. It is the foundation of every empowered society, offering a better life for its citizens. There is a pressing need to enable children to develop the skill set required to survive in a knowledge-based and technology-driven world, as well as to contribute to the economic development of their country. Studies report that alarmingly high ...

While education has been declared a fundamental human right, and is undoubtedly life changing for boys, girls, men and women alike, it is especially beneficial for girls. Investing in female education is by far one of the best investments that families, communities and countries can make. With returns ranging from lower mortality rates and healthier families, to greater incomes and improved st ...

In 2010, the Government of Pakistan introduced Article 25-A in the Constitution of Pakistan which declared that the “state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age 5 – 16 years in such a manner as may be determined by law”. While this was a very positive step in the right direction, roughly 5 years later, the government is still s ...

 The Peshawar chapter of ITA’s national education policy consultative process, much like previous sessions, was an instant hit. The youth, teachers and representatives of the civil society made full use of this opportunity and voiced their concerns regarding education in an energetic and meaningful manner.  The education emergency in the country rightly deserves the kind of impo ...

Voicing the peoples’ thoughts, experiences, and agitations is the key to having a successful output. Therefore, when reviewing something as critical as the National Education Policy, it is necessary to incorporate every story you can get a hold of, every detail you can analyze and every child you can educate.

ITA, with the Federal and Provincial Governments, has been conducting co ...

 Names and tags prominently give you cognition of your responsibilities along with an intention  of cascading your role to a productive end. Being Education Youth Ambassador Pakistan with Idara Taleem O Aghi prevail a consciousness for Youth to be change agent while carrying out possible passages to bring difference in education system in Pakistan. Since independence re ...

Now the razzmatazz celebrating the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals is over, it is time to get down to business. For education (Goal 4) that means prioritizing the 250 million children who are not learning the basics, to ensure this global learning crisis is a thing of the past by 2030.

The first, and most vital, step that needs to be taken is to address disadvantage from ear ...

As I head back from the bustling Big Apple to my quiet Cambridge abode, I find myself running in a slow playback of the happenings at the United Nations yesterday. Last week, while I was corresponding with my former boss, or rather my mentor, Baela Raza Jamil1, about her upcoming visit to attend the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), I was planning my own call t ...

With only 58% of the population being able to read and write and 6.7 million children being out of school, education system in Pakistan must take a bold leap. The change needs to be bottom-up, systematically encouraging local community (students, teachers, parents, youth groups) to offer their reflections in the development process. Pakistan is fortunate to have the most talented pool of young ...

Last week took the ITA team to Sindh where the National Education Policy (NEP) consultation sessions were conducted in Hyderabad, Mithi, and Sukkur. Our aim was to provide the Pakistani youth – teachers, students, activists, young entrepreneurs – with a platform where they can express their concerns regarding the current ...

When it comes to nation building, there is no doubt about the importance of involving all citizens in the policy planning process. The participation of various stakeholders including youth, educators, civil society members, and government officials alike ensure that social cohesio ...