'Ilmpossible Programme' may send quarter million children to schools

British Council’s initiative brings together academia, activists education ministers

ISLAMABAD: More than a quarter million children will go to primary schools through British Council’s Ilmpossible programme.

More than 150 British Council Pakistan volunteers Ilmbassadors, community mobilisers, teachers, students and partners from 65 districts convened at the weekend to celebrate their achievements and share inspirational stories.

“Over the 70 years of work in Pakistan, the British Council has worked with some remarkable people and organisations and I am fortunate to have met the people and partners who made Ilmpossible: Take a Child to School a reality,” British Council Director Rosemary Hilhorst said.

“The stories of these children, teachers, parents and volunteers are truly inspirational,” she said, in her welcome address. The Deputy British High Commissioner Richard Crowder and Higher Education Commissioner Chairpman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad formally opened the exhibition of Dosti stalls which included various enrollment, retention and Social Action Projects conducted across the country.

They commended the efforts of the British Council and their partners, and said that the size of children enrollment was very encouraging.

They both emphasised the need to engage Pakistan’s youth, and strengthen their role in the community by increasing their civic engagement duties.

The Ilmsummit is unique in its nature as it brings together key policymakers, parliamentarians, academia, civil society representatives, volunteers and project ambassadors, students, teachers and community mobilisers from 65 districts of Pakistan.

The first panel of the day was on “Public-Private Partnerships: Improving Access and Quality of Primary Education in Pakistan,” with panellists Kiran Foundation Chairperson Sabina Khatri, Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training Advisor Rafique Tahir, Children’s Global Network Pakistan CEO Mehnaz Akbar Aziz and Ilmpossible Project Manager Hassan Jamil.

The two-day summit held additional panel sessions on, Universities as Safe Spaces and Bastions of Tolerance and Progress Dialogue;  Demographic Dividend or Disaster: The Cost of Illiteracy and  Pakistan United.

Provincial education ministers were invited for the concluding discussion on Education Sector Reforms and Provincial Commitments. The panel included Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Atif Khan, Sindh Education Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar, Balochistan Education Minister Abdul Raheem Ziaratwal, and Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashood.

“Education and youth is the priority of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. We are utilizing the expertise of British Council in training 83,000 teachers in the province,” said Atif Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2017.