DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Adviser to the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Education and Social Welfare Dr Aamer Abdullah has called for integrating effective interventions under the ILMpact project with other educational initiatives to improve foundational learning skills among children.
During a briefing on the project’s activities and performance, he directed the relevant authorities to incorporate its successful interventions into the forthcoming Five-Year Education Sector Plan, said a handout.
Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and implemented through the British Council, ILMpact is operating in seven districts of the province to address learning gaps among students of Grades 3 to 5 and improve their basic competencies.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Elementary and Secondary Education Mahmood Aslam Wazir, Managing Director Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation Qaiser Alam, Director Elementary and Secondary Education Mansoor Jafar Abbasi, British Council Director Mazhar Siraj and other officials.
Dr Abdullah appreciated the project’s learning model and directed the authorities to explore its integration with other initiatives, including B-TAG and a UNICEF-supported project, into a coordinated framework with anticipated support from the World Bank.
He said educational interventions should be aligned with the budgetary process and successful models expanded to improve learning outcomes.
The adviser also called for greater parental involvement in children’s education and directed the launch of a comprehensive awareness campaign to encourage parents to spend at least 30 minutes daily helping their children with lessons, homework and other learning activities.
He directed the relevant officials to prepare a detailed report on the proposed campaign within a week. The authorities were also asked to develop awareness material in simple languages, including local mother tongues, to encourage wider parental participation.
In a separate meeting chaired by Dr Abdullah, officials reviewed the initial draft of the Five-Year Education Sector Plan and discussed its priorities, proposed targets and implementation framework.
The adviser called for a realistic and achievable plan based on good governance, clear timelines, measurable outcomes and effective implementation mechanisms. He also proposed introducing a system of rewards and accountability.
He said the plan should guide the budgetary process and ensure that available resources were allocated according to educational priorities.
Dr Abdullah directed that a meeting of the steering committee, headed by the secretary of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department, be convened to discuss the plan. The Additional Secretary for Research and Development was assigned the task of preparing the comprehensive document.
