ISLAMABAD: In a bid to alleviate burden on young students, government primary schools in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) are set to introduce a new policy under which students will no longer be required to carry their school books back and forth between their homes and institution. Instead, the schools will provide pigeon holes and book racks in the classrooms to store the books, making it a child-friendly and convenient learning environment. This initiative
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD: The education ministry and Google announced a ‘strategic collaboration’ to improve access to education and support the development of a digital ecosystem for learning, the agreement also aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children across the country. This was announced by Google for Education and the Ministry of Federal Education on June 20, 2024 during an event, according to a statement. Google, through its Google for Education`s country partner, Tech Valley, will
For a society which obsesses over rearing the perfect child, children faring poorly in academics are consistently shunned for not working hard enough, irrespective of whether their under-par scholastic performance is the direct result of an irregular study routine or a congenital learning difficulty like dyslexia. According to the Cleveland Clinic, dyslexia is a specific learning disorder which compromises language processing in a child, who will struggle to spell words, associate sounds with words,
BAJAUR: The death of a child after he fell into a ditch caused by illegal excavation of sand from riverbed sparked protest by the residents of Yousaf Abad area here on 19 June 2024. The protesters, including political and social activists, kept the main Khar-Munda Road blocked to vehicular traffic for two hours. The participants said that the 10-year-old child, who was the nephew of a retired police official, died after falling into a
ISLAMABAD: As the summer vacation has commenced, elementary school students may find momentary respite from the heavy burden of school bags. However, a policy that once promised lasting relief, the `Lighter Bag Brighter Student` initiative, has been practically discontinued, much to the dismay of parents and children alike. Launched in January 2022 by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the `Lighter Bag Brighter Student` policy was initially rolled out in model colleges.
LAHORE: The Lytton Road police arrested a man for allegedly recording an objectionable video of a young girl in the washroom of a hostel where she was staying along with other girls. The victim girl said that she was taking a bath when she suddenly noticed someone was recording her video with his mobile phone through an exhaust fan installed in the bathroom. She said that she immediately raised an alarm and informed the
Peshawar: According to a reported news, KP Police arrest elderly groom and nikah registrar, but the child bride’s father manages to escape. Police in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, thwarted an attempt by a 72-year-old man to marry a 13-year-old girl. According to police sources, in the Tangi area of Peshawar, the elderly man, identified as Habib Jan from Armar, tried to marry the young girl in exchange for Rs500,000, which he agreed to
LAHORE: The Punjab government on 14 June 2024 established the Punjab Education, Curriculum, Training and Assessments Authority (PECTAA) after merger of three departments -Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB), Quaid-i Azam Academy for Educational Development (QAED) and Punjab Examination Commission (PEC) with a view to reform school education. Earlier, the government had constituted a five-member committee to integrate the three departments working on curriculum development, teachers` training and assessment framework into one overarching body,
THE prime minister recently declared an education emergency, a much-needed and welcome call to action. Our education system is in critical condition and experts must now step forward to revive it. International donors and NGOs must be watching keenly to see what happens this time. Academics may be expecting invitations, polishing their PowerPoint presentations, inserting the new slogan `Education Emergency` in large fonts, saving files on colourful USBs, and securing them in shiny leather
ISLAMABAD: The government-run educational institutions in the capital have waived off the requirement of Form-B for admission in schools in a major relief for the undocumented children mostly hailing from underprivileged communities, a requirement which had been disproportionately affecting the enrolment rate. At present, Pakistan has about 26 million children who are out of school despite tallclaims made by the successive government to increase the enrolment rate by incentivising admissions to state-run schools, for
ISL AMABAD: The government on 12 June 2024 announced a Rs3.792 trillion national Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for fiscal year 2024-25, which represents a staggering 58 per cent increase from the Rs2.39tr to be spent under the head by the close of FY24. Of the total, Rs2.095tr has been allocated to provincial PSDP, compared to Rs1.56tr in the outgoing year. Of the remaining, Rs1.4tr will be spent on the federal PSDP, with another
LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced a significant increase of 13 per cent in education budget for the 2024-25 fiscal, allocating a sum of Rs669.74 billion. This includes Rs 65.50 billion for development expenditure and Rs 604.24 billion for current expenses. The government has sanctioned Rs 42.50 billion for development schemes in school education. This budget will be used to renovate dilapidated school buildings and provide other basic facilities. New classrooms will be added,