Public-private partnership vital to cater for development needs of children

Islamabad

Fifteen days Training of Trainers organised by Children’s Global Network Pakistan (Parwaan) for its cluster coordinators and regional teams under its ‘Parwaan Preschool- A School Readiness Programme’ concluded here on Tuesday, says a press release.

Cluster coordinators from all the 15 target districts under the programme, Khushab, Multan, Layyah, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Haripur, Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan, Lasbela, Gwadar, Rawalpindi and Islamabad participated in the training of trainers.

The training was designed to equip the participants with the Early Childhood Care and Education pedagogical and entrepreneurial skills to expand the program in fifteen districts in Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Parwaan Preschool Programme, provides low cost quality early learning and development opportunities to at risk children of age group 3-5 years not covered under Article 25 A of the constitution and builds capacities of educated unemployed youth in entrepreneurial and ECCE pedagogical skills to open up ECCE centers in their respective areas for income generation and serve their communities.

The closing ceremony among others was attended by the Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Engr. Mohammad Baligh-ur-Rehman, Joint Education Advisor Ministry for Federal Education and Professional Training Prof. Mohammad Rafique Tahir, former Finance Minister Omar Ayub Khan, Team Lead Ilm Ideas 2 Ms. Helen Kamal and President Parwaan Mehnaz Aziz, Parwaan cluster coordinators, regional and local teams.

Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Engr. Mohammad Baligh-ur-Rehman speaking on Government and Parwaan initiatives for the promotion of Early Childhood Education in Pakistan said that public-private partnerships, such as the Parwaan initiative are vital to cater to the development needs of children from the ages of 3 to 5 years.

He said Article 25 A of the Constitution provides for free and compulsory education to the children falling under 5-16 years age but where will the children of age group 3-5 years go? He said this is a very tender age. Government due to limited resources cannot work alone for this age group and has therefore partnered with Parwaan to work on the holistic development of the child. He said we have to give research and evidence based learning to our children to develop in them creativity and exploration. He added that there has been a drastic decrease in dropout rate to 2 crore 24 lack from 2 crore 60 lack, while the transition rate and adjusted net enrolment rate has increased.

Earlier Mehnaz Aziz Chief Executive & Founding Director Children’s Global Network Pakistan while sharing the phase II of Parwaan Prechool Program said that children in Pakistan face challenges like poverty and malnutrition especially in marginalized communities. The programme’s expansion in 15 districts across the country, in collaboration with the Ministry of Federal Education, will ensure that children of low income areas are accounted for.

Prof. Mohammad Rafique Tahir Joint Education Advisor Ministry for Federal Education and Professional Training in his comments on Public Private partnerships on early childhood education said that the field team’s journey has just began and it is their responsibility to develop linkages and networking as coordinators but more importantly, mentor the potential entrepreneurs. Omar Ayub former Finance Minister in his remarks said that communities have to become agents on change in order to combat the many issues that Pakistan face.

Ms. Helen Kamal Team lead Ilm Ideas 2 while sharing the objectives of the program said that the programme is innovative in its aim and potential to not only provide early childhood development opportunities to children in the age of 3 to 5 years but also provide employment to educated youth across the country. She added that the longtime sustainability of the programme makes it even more valuable. After successful implementation of the pilot phase in five districts Kohat, Charsadda, Khushab, Bahawalpur and Islamabad Capital Territory with the financial assistance of Ilm Ideas 2.

The program is now scaling up its tested social entrepreneurship and ECCE model whereby 2000 youth will be skilled to establish ECCE centers across Pakistan, benefiting more than 25,000 marginalized children of age group 3-5 years during 2017-18. Parwaan envisions 0.5 million ECCE Centers across Pakistan.