PESHAWAR
The Participatory Rural Development Society (PRDS) organized two separate Communication and Advocacy events in districts Shangla and Buner under FCDO funded ILMpact Program with technical assistance from the British Council to boost education enrollment drives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The events aimed to bring out-of-school children into the mainstream education system, ensure girls’ enrollment and retention, provide an inclusive and equitable learning environment for children with disabilities and minority communities, and actively involve local communities in the education process.
Large numbers of participants attended both events, including Additional Deputy Commissioner Buner, Qaisar Khan Kundi, DEO (Female) Buner, Mrs. Tahira Jabeen, ADEP Establishment from district Shangla, Saddam Hussain, project manager ILMpact Ayesha Haroon, Program Lead Tariq Hayat Yousafzai, SDEOs from various tehsils of Buner and Shangla along with school leaders, parents, community leaders, local volunteers, and PRDS program staff. Participants pledged to play a practical role in promoting education and safeguarding children, fully understanding their responsibilities.
Addressing the gatherings, speakers stressed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces systemic barriers including a shortage of trained teachers, lack of quality learning materials, and gender disparities along with access issues. However, they emphasized that collective efforts by parents, teachers, religious scholars, and local communities can effectively overcome these challenges to a greater extent.
Provincial enrollment targets for the current year were also shared with the attendees. For Buner district, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has set a target of enrolling 28,469 children including 18,292 boys and 10,177 girls. For Shangla district, the target is 32,560 children – 22,900 boys and 9,660 girls. District administration officials assured full support for the noble cause of education, while education department officials stressed that all stakeholders must work together to achieve these goals.
Program representatives briefed participants about the ILMpact Program, stating that it is currently operational in 15 districts across Pakistan including 8 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 7 in Punjab and practical steps are being taken to address issues faced by government schools.
During the events, the enrollment campaign was formally launched. School bags and other gifts were distributed among newly enrolled children under the ILMpact Program. Shields and special gifts were also awarded to high-performing female teachers, PTC members, and local volunteers. At the conclusion, all participants signed a joint pledge committing themselves to the promotion of education and the protection of children, vowing to take practical measures for educational advancement.
