School initiatives reshape classrooms

RAWALPINDI:

New research published in the global education volume "Learning Education Policy in Practice" shows that around 80,000 to 90,000 children aged 5 to 16 in ICT remain out of school. That's 13-15 per cent of all children in that age group. And for those who do attend, learning outcomes remain low. In 2024 assessments, Grade 4 students answered just 49 per cent of mathematics questions correctly on average. By Grade 8, that number dropped to 42 per cent.

Chapter 5 of the book, titled "Bridging Equity and Learning Gaps in Islamabad School, Pakistan", examines how ICT is trying to close these gaps - not with one big reform, but with three targeted programmes working together.

Three Barriers, Three Solutions

The research identifies three main barriers: mobility and safety, poverty and nutrition, and instructional quality.

To address them, the Ministry of Federal Education and the Federal Directorate of Education have rolled out three flagship initiatives: safe transport for girls via the pink bus, tackling hunger and absenteeism through the ICT School Meals programme, and improving learning quality through smart classrooms.