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Education for Out-of-School Children in Pakistan

A recent survey by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) reveals a staggering number of 23 million children in Pakistan are out of school. Despite numerous efforts to address this through conventional education systems, these have seen limited success. However, with 78 million smartphone users in Pakistan and increasing internet access, a hybrid education system combining technology and traditional methods could significantly improve outreach to these children.

OOSC-Education-Pakistan

The Proposed Solution

The system comprises three key components:

1. The Mentor: Central to our system, a mentor is any reasonably educated individual, regardless of gender, willing to teach voluntarily to a small group of learners. They must possess a smartphone with an active SIM.

2. The Content: This includes both printed and digital educational materials aligned with the government-approved curriculum. We primarily use resources from the Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training for Non-Formal Education under the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP), available from the National Book Foundation, Islamabad. These include:

  • ALP-Package–A (Class I): Contains three books in Urdu, English, and Math, each with a teacher’s guide (Rehnama e Asatiza).
  • ALP-Package-B (Class II & III): Similar to Package A, with a focus on higher class levels.
  • ALP-Package-C (Class IV & V): Expands to five subjects, including Science and Social Science, each with a corresponding teacher’s guide.

3. The Learner: This system is designed for children aged 5 to 16 who missed out on basic or primary education. Completing the full ALP (A, B, and C) can enable 5 to 9-year-olds to continue education in regular schools. Unschooled adults completing Package A will be considered literate as per Pakistan's literacy definition. The system also provides supplementary learning for children currently in primary schools.

Methodology

  • Legal and Geographic Scope: The school system operates under a legal entity and covers all of Pakistan.
  • Mentor App: A mobile app will be available for mentors, downloadable from various sources, including our server, app stores, or via transfer from another smartphone. This app facilitates mentor registration and learner enrollment.
  • Teaching Materials and Training: Mentors receive content, teaching materials, training guides, and a library of multimedia resources.
  • Connectivity: Internet access is required for content updates, with offline storage options for areas lacking connectivity.
  • Classroom Flexibility: Mentors can teach anywhere, with a recommended group size of 5 to 10 learners per session.
  • Course Structure: Content is organized into courses and lessons, with each lesson lasting approximately 20 minutes.
  • Instruction Medium: Urdu is the primary language of instruction, supplemented by regional languages or English as needed.
  • Funding: DoorDars aims to secure scholarships, donations, and grants to offer this educational system free of cost.