Islamabad, Nov 13: The UK set to help over 250,000 children in Pakistan access better education. Through the service delivery component of Girls and Out of School Children’s Action for Learning (GOAL) programme, Khilo aur Barho, the UK’s £20 million contribution will help break down barriers to education, enhance literacy and numeracy skills, and strengthen a resilient and effective education system in Pakistan over the next three years.
Funded by the British High Commission, Pakistan, and delivered by the British Council, the service delivery component of Girls and Out of School Children’s Action for Learning (GOAL) programme, Khilo aur Barho will see children receive support with their Urdu, Maths and English.
This support will focus on their ability, rather than their age, helping them to catch-up on these subjects quicker. At least 10% of participants will be children with disabilities, and 20% will come from marginalised groups
Jane Marriott, the British High Commissioner said: “Pakistan is facing an education emergency, with 26.2 million children out of school. This targeted support will make sure some of the most vulnerable children in the country don’t fall behind. The UK is already a significant supporter of education in Pakistan, supporting over 4.5 million children across Pakistan to access a decent education over the past 10 years.”
James Hampson, Country Director of the British Council in Pakistan said: “Education is the key to unlocking the potential of every child and building a peaceful and prosperous future. Today we are showing our unwavering dedication to enhancing education outcomes for the most vulnerable children in Pakistan. Thanks to the vital support and investment from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), we’re able to drive lasting change and expand access to quality education where it’s needed most.”
Mr Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, Federal Education Secretary said: ” Ministry is focused on helping deliver PMs education emergency whereby we are facilitating each of the provinces to connect with international and local partners to fight learning poverty in every district with special focus on lagging districts. I am hoping that GOAL will show how you deliver that successfully in 14 most challenging districts. We will stand ready to help in everyway to make it a success.”
Khilo aur Barho will work to holistically address the challenge of children out of school this includes in-school interventions that improve the learning quality and environment which is integral to preventing drop out as well as addressing barriers to accessing education that many marginalised groups of children have. The programme will employ a two-pronged approach to enrol children out of school which includes accelerated learning support prior to enrolment, and learning support and teacher professional development in schools once they are attending.
