In a significant relief for the undocumented children, who primarily come from impoverished communities, the government-run educational institutions in Islamabad have eliminated the Form-B requirement for entry. This requirement had been disproportionately hurting the enrolment rate.
Notwithstanding grandiose promises made by successive governments to boost enrollment by providing incentives for admission to state-run schools—such as free schoolbooks and school food programs—approximately 26 million children in Pakistan are not enrolled in school.
Education Secretary Mohyuddin Wani stated that under the new policy, which does away with the requirement of Form-B for enrollment, all children in Islamabad, regardless of their documentation status, will be eligible for admission in the government-run institutions.
It has come to our attention that poor children’s access to education was unintentionally limited by the prior rule requiring the production of Form-B as a prerequisite for enrollment in federal government schools. The decision was made with an inclusive learning environment in mind, he continued, adding that vulnerable populations, particularly children without legal status, have been disproportionately affected by this practice.
51 schools will begin operating in the evenings to accommodate more students.
“It is our mission to guarantee that all children, irrespective of their circumstances or background, have access to high-quality education.” Our belief is that every child should have the chance to determine their own path in life, and we are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. In his words, “This policy change is a step towards building a more just and equitable society, where every child can flourish and realise their full potential.”
In a similar vein, beginning with the upcoming academic session, the Ministry of Education has chosen to implement night shifts in 51 schools located throughout the city. With many schools witnessing a large rise in student enrollment during the enrolment campaign—some primary classrooms seeing a strength of nearly 100 students—this attempts to address the difficulties encountered.
“We will upgrade infrastructure in the designated schools and arrange additional honoraria for teachers to support the evening shifts in order to ensure quality education and a conducive learning environment,” the speaker declared.
“By reducing the load on morning sessions, the evening shifts will enhance both the student-teacher ratio and the quality of the learning environment. We are dedicated to giving every student a top-notch education, and this programme is a big step in the right direction,” he stated.
Recall that the Federal Directorate of Education-managed schools requested Rs3.5 billion from the federal government in the next budget to finish the restorations of educational facilities as part of a Rs7.4 billion project.
The “Provision of Basic Educational Facilities in Educational Institutions of ICT” project was started in 2021, and in order to guarantee that the project would run smoothly, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government committed Rs. 2 billion for it in FY23–24.
