After TeleSchool, radio school on the cards

Islamabad: Almost seven months after launching the country's first educational TV channel with the help of the Pakistan Television, the federal education ministry has planned to begin a 'radio school' for distance learning.

It signed a memorandum of understanding for the purpose on Friday claiming the RadioSchool initiative will help educate over eight million children across the country through programmes to be broadcast for four hours daily.

Radio Pakistan Director General Ambreen Jan and additional secretary of the Education Ministry Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani signed the MoU documents during a special ceremony, where education minister Shafqat Mahmood, information minister Shibli Faraz and senior relevant officials were also in attendance.

Under the MoU, the RadioSchool will begin broadcasting primary level lessons based on the content provided by the education ministry on November 24.

The educational programmes will go on air on various medium wave and Radio Pakistan FM networks from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. They will be repeated from 2pm to 4pm all through the week. Education minister Shafqat Mahmood said the project was designed in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to take education to the people's doorsteps in every corner of the country, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This an important step as students have suffered a lot throughout this year due to the pandemic-induced school closures,” he said, adding that the RadioSchool will serve as a distance learning platform.

The minister said the government would also begin an education portal soon. He said as the Radio Pakistan covered the entire country, the children from Gilgit- to Gwadar would benefit from the RadioSchool, which would be available on mobile phones as well. In April, the federal government had launched the TeleSchool Channel telecasting educational programmes at PTV from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday for grades 1 to 12.