Islamabad, Sep 15: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recommended that Pakistan adopt India’s “Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society” (ULLAS) scheme to address its failing education system.
This suggestion was made in response to Pakistan’s request for financial aid to improve education quality and address the issue of millions of out-of-school children.
The ADB emphasized a collaborative approach between the federal and provincial governments for providing essential skills that include foundational literacy, digital literacy, financial literacy, healthcare awareness, and family welfare.
The ADB also proposed supporting school meal programs in provinces such as Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with grant assistance from Japan Funds in Trust. The lender further plans to help Pakistan build a comprehensive registry of school buildings in disaster-prone areas to give insurance coverage under future programs.
ADB has already contributed $175 million in loans for education projects in Punjab and Sindh and is considering further funding to enhance secondary education in Punjab and expand social protection initiatives.
