e-Newsletter, January 2022

Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) or the "Centre of Education and Consciousness" Public Trust, established in 2000, is a civil society organization focused on addressing the profound education crisis of Pakistan through action and policy research, service-delivery and advocacy. ITA has been a strong education champion across Pakistan with field programs covering complex aspects of: Access, Learning, Quality, Evaluating Low-Cost Private Schools, Inclusion, Child Protection, Gender Justice and Education, Tolerance, Citizenship, Health and Hygiene Interventions, and Technical and Vocational Training Programs with government, communities and public and private school systems.

Education Parliamentarians Caucus (EPC)

Some 20 parliamentarians from all provinces and political parties of Pakistan and civil society organizations have extended support to the newly formed Education Parliamentarians Caucus (EPC). The EPC has been formed to address key bottlenecks in the current education system of the country as well as table suggestions for improvements to decision makers. The key focus of the efforts would be to make sure that education policies and plans can bridge the implementation gaps and effectively cater to the diverse real needs of children, adolescents and adults for quality education in Pakistan. In a big leap forward, the Senate of Pakistan, on January 31, 2022, passed a motion moved by Dr Shahzad Waseem authorizing Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani to appoint members in the EPC.

A letter has also been written to the decision makers requesting support for EPC and also put forth six recommendations for making transformative decisions impacting millions of children, youth and teachers.

Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)

Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi Data entry and data cleaning for ASER 2021 has been completed. The ASER Pakistan team at ITA is working on the final report which is likely to be launched in February, 2022. ASER 2021 has covered 152 rural districts, 87,585 households and 248,729 children.

An MOU has been signed between ITA and Orenda Pvt Ltd in which Orenda intends to engage ITA to create and conduct literacy and numeracy tests using ASER tools in schools within and outside the Taleemabad ecosystem. ITA will create tests for Orenda, the results for which are comparable to global and national data for students between the ages of 5-16. ITA will also train and manage a team of reliable enumerators to collect data in all schools requested by Orenda anywhere in Pakistan.

Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF)

Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi PLF’s book donation drive is in full swing. The PLF is sharing wisdom of knowledge and fun with children who have been denied access to books. Please send in your donation to us so these books can reach book lovers around the country.

Digi Kutub Khana (DKK)
The DKK started hosting their weekly sessions (introductory and storytelling) with children in Hazara and Qila Derawar. The DKK is a learning living library (3L) aimed at mitigating learning losses and accelerate lifelong learning in Pakistan, through culturally relevant and community-based learning.

Young Author Award (YAA)
YAA 2021-2022 has received an overwhelming response with over 500 entries and multiple requests for an extension. PLF has decided to extend the submission deadline to February 15, 2022, so no one is left out of this opportunity and share their talent of story writing.

Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi Kitab Gari
PLF Kitab Gari collaborated with Faiz Ghar to increase children's access to books and share their love for reading and storytelling.

Siyani Sahelian

ITA collaborated with Empowerment Thru Creative Integration (ECI) for a three-day training on Enterprise and Financial literacy for Siyani Sahelian’s TVET Instructors in Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan. The three-day TOT was designed for 30 instructors from each District representing various skill centers who were taught on basics of enterprise development and financial literacy skills. Towards the end, the instructors also presented their small business setups to the audience. These instructors were trained to teach these skills to ITA’s TVET beneficiaries. This training will help these trainees in setting up their small businesses and managing their finances after the three-month skills training program.

Launching Animated Films on Life Skills for Girls’ Education in Pakistan

Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi On the occasion of the International Day of Education, ITA released two of the nine Life Skills animated films on Education and Mental Health in 5 languages (Urdu, Balochi, Sindhi, Pashto and Punjabi). The films (originally dubbed in Urdu with English subtitles) have been developed and released during the first and second phase of Siyani Sahelian initiative and since then, have been used massively to raise awareness amongst adolescent girls (and boys) on social issues and women empowerment. We envision that this public good, created jointly by ITA and SOC Films and supported by FCDO, will be an excellent resource for young girls and women across Pakistan to learn about life skills and make informed choices in the future.

Girls Lower Secondary Education Program - UNESCO

ITA for its Girls Lower Secondary Education Program partnered with the British Council’s English and Digital for Girls’ Education (EDGE) program which is working to enhance the English proficiency, digital skills, and awareness of social issues. The program will cater to 560 adolescent girls in 11 partner public schools and 5 NFE centres and will include 80 Peer Group Leaders and some 480 Club members. Under this program, British Council has also organized training of trainers and partner schools’ teachers to conduct a baseline assessment of Peer Group Leaders. The clubs will be made functional from February onward and will continue to run for the next 10 weeks.

AAWAZ II

ITA organized a District Learning forum to get suggestions and learn how communities can engage with duty bearers and mandated structures to achieve better responses and outcomes. District forum members, Aawaz change agents, village forum members, government department and civil society organizations representatives were engaged in this activity to know the best practices of Aawaz-II program in district Rahim Yar Khan.

Safe School Reopening Pilot (SRP)

SRP is near to completion so the focus is shifting to follow-up efforts with schools and communities, such as community cascade sessions to raise awareness about new COVID variant safety measures and immunizations. Through follow-up sessions, school SRMAP review meetings, and yoga roll-outs, the SRP reached out to 212 members of the Community and Vigilance Committee. Sehat Kahani Kiosks were established in three intervention schools to provide healthy living information, SK service access and leverage mechanisms, and free campus-based online medical consultations. The representatives from FDE, Department of Health, and SRP-ITA met to discuss how they could work together to launch school health service programs in intervention schools.

Public School Support Program being funded by Punjab Education Initiative Management Authority (PEIMA)

ITA arranged a teacher training titled “Result-Oriented Teaching: Planning and Delivering a Successful Lesson” in districts Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Chiniot. The purpose was to train 520 teachers of PEF/PEIMA Project with latest pedagogies to deal with the Single National Curriculum which has more activities and new added skills.

Bahawalpur Total Teachers= 130	Muzaffargarh Total Teachers= 207

Rahim Yar Khan Total Teachers= 53	Chiniot Total Teachers= 130

Life Skills for Kids (LSK)

LSK students welcomed the New Year 2022 with December exam result. Students got their result cards and rewards. LSK celebrated International Day of Education with great spirit and enthusiasm. LSK students also received winter kits items including shoes, socks, sweaters, caps and bags.

Eye Camps were organized in LSK campuses where around 500 students, 40 staff members and 200 community parents got eye check-ups.	LSK vocational center initiated new tasks like Ajrak wallet, wedding pouches, cultural caps, Maxi making and Hand embroidery on flour bags.

PLF volunteer team conducted a Stem Power activity with LSK students.

International Day of Education

On January 24, 2022, ITA celebrated International Day of Education acknowledging that education is imperative to achieve SDGs. Whilst COVID-19 has thrown up huge challenges and exacerbated the education and learning crisis further, it has also demonstrated the capacity to innovate, work collaboratively and regroup for learning and livelihoods in extremely tough circumstances.