ISLAMABAD (special crosspondent) – More than 200,000 children in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have significantly improved their access to schooling and foundational life skills, including basic reading and numeracy, through a strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and provincial governments. As educational infrastructure evolves, similar initiatives like those focused on RCCI President Usman Shaukat’s focus on economic growth highlight the broader developmental needs of the region.

Measurable Improvements in Literacy and Numeracy

Data from the programme indicates substantial progress in academic benchmarks. Urdu reading proficiency among participants increased from 15 percent to 78 percent, while English reading competency rose from 15 percent to 45 percent. Furthermore, mathematical skills showed a marked improvement, with subtraction proficiency climbing from 37 percent to 67 percent. The UK-Pakistan partnership utilised rigorous learning-level assessments, targeted instructional methods, and consistent teacher coaching to facilitate these academic gains.

Expanding Educational Access and Teacher Capacity

The intervention successfully reached over 500 public schools, facilitating the reintegration of more than 35,000 out-of-school children into the formal education system. In addition to direct student support, the programme provided remedial education to 48,000 learners and enhanced the professional capacity of the education sector by training over 5,500 educators and 250 Master Trainers. Furthermore, infrastructural improvements were completed across 400 school facilities.

Leadership Reflections on Foundational Learning

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, CMG OBE, underscored the central role of educators in this success, stating, “Teachers are at the heart of improving learning outcomes for children, and the most important measure of success is whether they find these approaches valuable enough to continue using them. The feedback so far has been extremely encouraging. By bringing together governments, schools and communities, children who previously could not read a simple sentence are now reading independently.”

Muhammad Musa Ali Bokhari, CEO of the Punjab Education Curriculum Training and Assessment Authority (PECTAA), remarked, “Every child in Punjab deserves the chance to read, write and count with confidence before they move beyond primary school. UK support has helped move the conversation on foundational learning from theory to demonstrated practice, here in Punjab.” Echoing these sentiments, Masood Ahmed, Special Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, added, “The achievements of this UK-supported programme show that focused investments in foundational learning can produce meaningful results for children and communities. We remain committed to building on this progress.”