The Joint Program on Education

JPC1 Pre-Primary and Elementary Education:

The major focus of activities in 2010 under JPC1 Pre-Primary and Elementary Education was on promoting access to education for all, and on improving quality of education through focusing on early childhood education (ECE) and the child-friendly school (CFS) approach. Consultations with parliamentarians and policy makers were organized and advocacy messages were disseminated to raise public awareness about the right of all children to free and compulsory education, and the need to increase public sector education budgets for primary and secondary education.

With regard to access, school feeding programs were used to promote enrolment of children and continued attendance, and students were provided take-home rations of vegetable oil and wheat flour under various interventions to act as a safety net to families and an incentive increase the enrolment and retention rates in the intervention areas. ECE was supported through establishment of ECE Resource Centres in all the provinces, development of teacher training materials and capacity building workshops for lead trainers and teachers. Similarly, capacity building support for CFS was provided in the form of CFS materials and teacher training. Other measures included provision of school supplies to 2,810 CFS government girls' schools in 30 districts with a major focus on girl students.

 Source: Pakistan One Programme Annual Report 2010