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Business Recorder
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Ministry releases NFE Statistical Report 2023-24
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has released an Annual Statistical Report 2023-24 regarding Non Formal Education (NFE) in Pakistan, with a notable 20% increase in enrollment compared to the previous year. The report showed an estimated enrolment of 35,427 with NFE centers serve 1,290,009 learners. As far as gender parity is concerned, over 57% of learners are girls, with significant regional variations. Report mentioned that 82% of teachers are female, with significant regional variations whereas 3,382 adult literacy centers serve 80,093 learners, demonstrating a significant increase in focus on adult literacy. In addition, around 10,181 refugee children, primarily from Afghanistan, are enrolled in NFE programmes. While the public sector plays a dominant role, the contribution of private and development sector organizations is crucial. Pakistan faces a significant education crisis, with an estimated 25.37 million out-of-school children (OOSC) aged 5-16, according to the 7th Population and Housing Census Report 2023 by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. This number has risen alarmingly, influenced by the impacts of COVID-19 and recent floods. Non-Formal Education (NFE) serves as a vital alternative, providing flexible and accessible learning opportunities for these children. Recent years have witnessed significant developments in the NFE sector, including the formulation of a comprehensive NFE policy, strengthened institutional frameworks, and the scaling up of Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs), including innovative models like ALP (Middle-Tech). The 'Zero OOSC Campaign' in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) a successful collaboration between government agencies, NGOs, and the community, demonstrates the effectiveness of a coordinated approach in identifying and enrolling OOSC. The 2023-24 NFE Statistical Report provides valuable insights into the current state of NFE in Pakistan. Annual Report recommended to expand Adult Learning Programme (ALP) Programmes, prioritise the expansion of ALP (Middle-Tech) programs due to their high retention rates (70%) and their ability to provide both academic and vocational skills. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Delhi govt schools directed to set up Special Admission Cells for children out of school
Delhi's Samagra Shiksha Department has directed the heads of all government schools, including that of the Directorate of Education (DoE), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), to set up Special Admission Cells (SAC) for children who were never enrolled. According to a circular issued on Thursday, the department aims to 'strengthen and streamline the admission process of never-enrolled Out-of-School children (OOSC), including Children with Special Needs (CWSN)' as well as students who dropped out of the school system due to any reason. These cells need to comprise the school head, admission in-charge and an educational and vocational guidance counsellor (EVGC) or a representative of similar expertise from the management belonging to MCD, DCB or NDMC authorities. There also has to be a Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator (CRCC) to give data to the cell. The SAC has been tasked with ensuring smooth and time-bound admission of identified out-of-school children, including Children with Special Needs. It is also expected to guide and counsel parents and children during the admission process. According to the circular, the SAC should ensure minimal documentation and coordinate with the school head and Special Training Centre (STC) teachers for enrolment support. Other responsibilities listed include: According to the department's standard operating procedure for out-of-school children, their identification is done 'to admit them in regular class/STC at the earliest.' They should be given admission in a regular government school immediately in the age-appropriate class where learning assessment of the child is done. This is to mainstream the child as after the assessment, the child may be recommended schooling in regular class or STC for a bridge course, as per the stage of learning.
Business Recorder
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Urban regions: Literacy rate elevated to 74.1pc
ISLAMABAD: The literacy rate in urban regions is considerably elevated, recorded at 74.1 percent, compared to 51.6 percent in rural areas, reveals the Economic Survey of Pakistan released on Monday. According to the survey, Punjab exhibits the highest literacy rate among the provinces at 66.3 percent, followed by Sindh at 57.5 percent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 51.1 percent, and Balochistan at 42.0 percent. According to the Population and Housing Census of 2023, Pakistan's literacy rate stands at 60.7 percent. The male literacy rate of 68.0 percent is notably higher than the female literacy rate of 52.8 percent, the Economic Survey remarked. One of the government's key targets is to ensure that, by 2030, all girls and boys have access to and complete quality primary and secondary education, achieving relevant and effective learning outcomes. A significant advancement of the census is to include literacy data pertaining to the transgender community, which has been reported at 40.2 percent. Furthermore, as per the Pakistan Education Statistics 2022-23 released by the Pakistan Institute of Education in Islamabad, the rate of Out of School Children (OOSC) stands at 38 percent, with 35 percent being male and 42 percent female. The distribution of OOSC is as follows: Punjab at 32 percent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 30 percent, Sindh at 47 percent, and Balochistan at 69 percent. During the current fiscal year, the Government has allocated Rs61.1 billion to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), which includes Rs12.0 billion dedicated to a laptop scheme, aimed at implementing 159 development projects (comprising 138 ongoing and 21 new) in public sector universities and institutions under the HEC. During July-April FY 2025, Rs32.6 billion were released. The HEC has initiated the IT Component of the Higher Education Development Programme in Pakistan (HEDP), a World Bank-supported project with a budget of US$ 400 million, which aims to modernize the technological infrastructure of the education sector in Pakistan. Around 67 percent of schools in the country have access to electricity. There are disparities among provinces, with Punjab and ICT having higher access while Balochistan consistently lags behind. Punjab and ICT have higher percentage of primary schools equipped with water facilities, but Balochistan and AJK faces challenges, with only 23 percent coverage. Toilet access in schools varies widely among provinces. Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and ICT have high coverage, but Balochistan struggles with only 40 percent access at the primary level. Pakistan maintains a moderate level of boundary wall access in schools, with Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and ICT leading in this area. As schools progress to higher levels, the availability of electricity, drinking water, toilets, and boundary walls increases. The current government is investing considerable efforts and resources into the education sector, with initiatives designed to ensure quality education for all, promote access to girls' education, facilitate the enrollment of diverse groups of out-of-school children, enhance teacher capacity, upgrade educational institutions, and foster skill development. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
