Advocacy

Reforming government schools across Pakistan through change in policy and legislation

HISTORY AND VISION

We work to change policy to reform schools through advocacy with the political leadership, the government including the top bureaucracy and mid-level officers and supporting organisations, civil society and other key opinion leaders and influencers.

Based on our learnings and successes at our schools, we have effectively brought change to policies in school governance and child protection.

POLICY ACHIEVEMENTS

We have been successful in bringing about a change in policy and legislation for child protection and school governance due to our efforts in advocacy. Some of our significant policy achievements include:

Child Protection through Life Skills Based Education (LSBE)

Life Skills Based Education or LSBE empowers children to recognise and protect themselves against physical and sexual abuse, disease, poor hygiene, nutritional inequality or insufficiency and other rights violations. Through our advocacy with Aahung, the governments of Sindh and Balochistan have committed to introducing LSBE into their textbooks.

The process of LSBE integration has already started in Sindh with one chapter having been integrated into the Class 7 Social Studies textbook and teachers having been trained to impart LSBE themes. Other themes are to be incorporated in the next round of textbook printing later this year (2019).

CURRENT GOALS

We are currently advocating for the following goals to help Pakistan's children learn better, live safer lives and reach their true potential:

Teacher Performance Evaluation

Teachers are a specialised workforce and it is unfair and impractical to assess them as any other civil servant. To this end, we are working to push for a Teacher Performance Evaluation regime that is customized to the teaching profession.

Child Protection through Life Skills Based Education Expansion

LSBE classes make children aware of their rights and empower them to recognise and protect themselves against physical and sexual abuse, disease, poor hygiene and nutritional inequality or insufficiency. To consolidate our progress with the governments of Sindh and Balochistan committing to introduce LSBE into their provincial curricula.

Sports in Every School

Sports keep children active, focused and teach critical life skills such as teamwork, negotiation, and perseverance. Seeing our students flourish in s variety of sports and consequently take a greater interest in all aspects of school, we are advocating for weekly sports classes by designated sports coaches at every government school.

Art in Every School

The arts teach children important lessons in perspective, creative thinking and expression, and give them an outlet for their unprocessed emotions. After demonstrating the success of our customised art program at two government schools, we are advocating for art to be introduced at every government school through designated art teachers and weekly classes.