Montessori kits distributed among children and teachers of FDE schools

Islamabad

To create child friendly Montessori ambience for children of age group 3 to 5 years in Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) schools in the rural suburban areas, the head teachers were given Montessori kits at a ceremony organised by Parwaan National Canter of Excellence on Early Childhood Care and Education in partnership with the Prime Minister’s Education Reform Initiative here on Thursday, says a press release.

Parwaan is assisting these schools in its efforts to support government in providing marginalised children access to low cost quality pre-primary education in the rural suburban areas of the federal capital.

The ceremony was chaired by Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Adviser Prime Minister’s Education Reform Programme (PMERP) Ali Raza, President Parwaan. Mehnaz Aziz, Parliamentary Secretary for CADD Maiza Hameed, National Education Officer OSF Pakistan Nargis Sultana, government officials and head teachers.

Marriyum Aurangzeb speaking on the occasion said the Prime Minister’s Education Reform Programme was started in 2014 when public sector was having issues. Private sector came forward and played its role in bridging this gap. She felicitated Parwaan and other private partners of PMERP for providing quality education to children. She said it took time to convince the public sector schools that they are not being privatised but the expertise of private sectors are being utilised to overcome the challenges.

The minister said it is Prime Minister’s vision to introduce Montessori classes in public schools like the private schools have. She said that Prime Minister believes in provision of quality education to the children from an early age to increase their knowledge base and prepare them for the challenges of 21st century.

Mr. Ali Raza remarked that PM Education Reform Programme has been successfully moving forward and PMERP’s private partners like Parwaan have been playing a key role in providing pre-primary facility in government schools. He noted that it was with the commitment government and cooperation of private partners that we have been able to extended the Montessori sections in 70 FDE schools.

President Mehnaz Aziz said that Parwaan is one of the key partners of PM’s Education Reform Programme. The objective of this partnership is to provide 3-5 years age group children an access to quality pre-primary education. She told that Parwaan has established 50 Montessori Sections in FDE schools located in rural suburban areas of Islamabad including Sihala, Tarnol, Nilore and Bhara Khau. Parwaan has also trained these teachers in ‘Inclusive Teaching & Active Learning Methodologies’ and Montessori management skills.

Mehnaz Aziz stated that currently, 1079 children are availing pre-primary education in these Montessori classes. The kits provided by Parwaan includes a 9-month ECCE course developed by Parwaan’s Early Childhood Education experts – in line with the National ECE curriculum. The ECCE kits provided by Parwaan includes age-appropriate teaching and learning material which will not only help the caregivers in teaching but will help these children in improving their literacy, numeracy social, emotional and cognitive skills.  She reiterated that Parwaan will provide continuous technical support to the Montessori teachers.

Earlier, Maiza Hameed Parliamentary Secretary CADD in her address said that the PM’s Education Reform Initiative is looked after by Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

She said it has been observed that this program has brought a change in the academic performance of many children during one year of implementation. We aim at improving the quality of education and that is why parents want to send children to public schools now. We have given 200 buses to government schools. Public private partnership has been managed in transparent way she said.