Home Background Contact Us Contact Us
  About Us
Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi was formed and registered in June 2000. ITA's primary focus is comprehensive education reform beginning with public sector schools which are in a state of sub-optimal performance. It also works with other sectors of basic education in non-formal and literacy programs for the disadvantaged groups such as child labor, destitute, women and youth. ITA works in a sector wide approach across formal, non-formal education from, ECE up to secondary levels and teacher education, in pre-service, in-service and certification programs. Policy and advocacy are an embedded focus of the organization.

ITA is pleased to share that it has a presence across ECD and ECE from 6 months to 5 years working closely with mothers in community based and school settings:

The ECE initiative is currently in practice in four major programs with physical presence as follows:


1) Whole School Improvement Program in run down government schools since 2000 and now in low cost private schools in Sindh and Punjab  

2) Non Formal Education and catch up programs for child labor and vulnerable groups since 2001

3) Education in Emergencies since 2005

4) Capacity building and learning materials dissemination of ECE National Curriculum 2006 through  corporate social responsibility (CSR) and public private partnership (PPPs).

UNILEVER Pakistan Ltd (UPL) through its SURF EXCEL brand has been a pioneering initiative in this critical area. The CE National Curriculum 2007 has been  shared in Urdu and English  in over 7000 schools,  capacity building done for 1100 teachers along with  ECE learning kits since 2008.

Each one of these strands has led to a generation of learning materials, toolkits, influencing policy and practice. The work coincided with the launch of the Education Sector Reforms Action Plan 2001-2005/Innovative Program for ECE and Public- Private Partnership initiatives.


Being committed to EFA goals and the critical importance for Early Childhood Education as the first step towards nurturing and care in learning, ITA explored opportunities with the Departments of Education, to setup ECE in its partner Govt schools catering for children at pre Katchi and Katchi levels. The government  extended permission to set up a pre Kachi program for 3-5 year olds. This was approved, and became a platform to influence education policy. A program for ECE helped ITA to link the schools with parents and the local community, trigger classroom improvement in the primary section and change attitudes of teachers and parents with marked results in practice and impact. It has also led to a focus on health needs of the children. The program currently is being implemented in:

a) WSIP  700  schools currently being supported in several districts of Punjab a well Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Sindh.   

b) 11 NFE programs drop in centers in Lahore, Rawalpindi, ICT and Karachi with over 1000 children in ECE

c) Education in Emergencies 10,000 children in ECE age group in 2005/2011  including  safe play areas

d) Dirt is Good/Surf Excel campaign with 1098 teachers trained in 1000 schools in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Muzzaffar Garh & Rahim Yar Khan,  and Ghotki 

e) 1016 ECE Learning Kits "Aao Mil kar Sekhein" alongwith the guidelines were distributed to 1000 schools

f) 10,000 copies of the ECE NC 2007 in Urdu & English were printed and disseminated, including 1000 Urdu ones to the Ministry of Education ( ITA managed to convince the MoE to let it take the lead in printing the Urdu version)

g) 1500 Teachers Training Manuals based on NC ECE 2007 were distributed during 3 days training in which 70% Govt and 30% Private schools participated.

h) 8 parks including one in a  camp in Swabi in 2009 were facilitated for promoting experiential learning. An impact assessment was completed by Surf Excel the  program is CSR driven focused on scaled up delivery of curriculum, guidelines learning kits and its use over a short period of time compared to other programs over time.

i) In 2010/11 Surf Excel partnered with ITA for its unique program TOOLs for SCHOOLS in emergency districts  ( Ghotki, Rahim Yar Khan and Muzaffargarh )  for improving/ rehabilitation ECE and primary classrooms  along with furniture brightly painted by children , training teachers, extending para teachers for one  and ECE leanring kits. 
 
Early Childhood Development Program (ECD) 2009
 
ECD began in the emergency and flood affected areas of Swabi Camp in 2009 and Sindh, Punjab in 2011. ECD is thus not only targeting children of 6months plus and mothers  but is truly multi-sectoral extending from learning.education, to protection,  mother and child care,  nutrition and vocational skills and now livelihoods.
In the Swabi camp it was supported by Surf Excel/CSR and citizens’ donations, where as  in the other provinces it has been supported  by Dubai Cares Foundation/
Target Groups/Ages, Daily Duration and Spaces of Sanjha Vehra (SV/ECD)
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Children - 1 year to 5 years (mainstreaming to schools)- some cases could be younger Mothers/Care Givers  -  accompanying them
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Daily Duration: Children - 3 hours minimum  daily -6 days
Mothers  presence in SV – 6 hours + per week
Early Childhood Education (ECE) SV Spaces: Courtyard, 2-3 rooms, toilet, wash area, kitchen, kitchen garden, children at work,  play spaces – vocational room for mothers
Geographical Areas :   Flood affected villages and now Flood Affected Villages set up by the government and also by CSR.

Targets to be achieved by 2013 April

Districts – Flood Affected Areas  including Model Villages ECD Centres Beneficiaries and Staff
Shikarpur 04 Children = 800 -1000; Mothers = 400 
Staff = 6  (Centre Manager, LHW+ 4 asst)
Rahim Yar Khan 04 Children = 800 -1000 ; Mothers = 400 
Staff = 6  (Centre Manager, LHW+ 4 asst)
Muzaffargarh 07 Children = 1400 -1600 ; Mothers = 700
Staff = 6  (Centre Manager, LHW+ 4 asst)

ECD Core Areas of Focus

  1. Developmental Milestones- Physical, Cognitive, Emotional
  2. Protection and care ..safe spaces 
  3. Nutrition – healthy cooking once a week
  4. Learning Readiness  activities, paced, interactive – making sense by ourselves
  5. Aesthetics/creativity  - exploring colors, words, body movements; songs and sounds – connecting with  multiple intelligences
  6. Mothers’ Health (pre-post natal), Child Care , Well being-  and expressions
  7. Mothers’ engagement in certified skills/vocations for livelihoods – life skills and DRR  
  8. SV/PV – Team:   

            Manager, Asst,  Lady Health Workers (LHWs) co-opted; visiting Doctor/ Nutritionist, Speakers-role models, Vocational Teacher/s

  1. Governance: 

            Mothers/Teachers’ Committee  (Name to be given)

Nutrition

  1. Children in Sanjah Verahs are provided healthy and nutritious food cooked by mothers for holistic child growth and development on weekly basis
  2. Food items Such as : Khichri ; Sago dana
  3. Fresh milk with Rooh Afzah and tiger biscuits
  4. Noodles supported by CSR – KNORR noodles for all SVs )

Technical Vocational Skills and Livelihoods for Mothers i
This is just beginning of starting a skills and livelihood program in Kot Addu- Basti Malook

  • On Monday June 18th , 2012 the first trade will begin for mothers and older siblings through TEVTA certification  at  50% fees for a 3 months course (beautician ..high demand) – ITA has MOU with TEVTA
  • It is an opportunity to learn skills, enterprise, linkages to micro credit
  • This program component will be expanded to all  SVs and will be tracked for livelihoods linkages
  • All mothers/trainees will be provided exposure to DRR and life skills within  3 months
 
Links with Government Departments,  CSR, Universities and Regional Networks
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Department of Education.Schools
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Department of Health
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Health Sector Reforms Unit
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Lady Health Workers’ focal person Provincisal  and district
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Directorate of Staff Development (DSD)
Early Childhood Education (ECE) CSR partners UNILEVER/KNORR noodles/soups etc. 
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Aga Khan  University .
Early Childhood Education (ECE) ARNEC
  Important Links
 Important ECE Web links
Early Childhood Education (ECE)

Visitors Counter