Advancing Inclusive and Equitable Learning Opportunities for Out-of-School Children!
As part of ongoing efforts to advance inclusive and equitable access to education for out-of-school children, Sobia Khalid, Head of Brand Experience at Jazz, Ali Khayam, Country Director, Right To Play Pakistan, and Amjad Pervaiz, Advisor Partnerships and Business Development, visited the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) School in UC-16 Darwala, Islamabad.
The visit was also joined by Riffat Shams, Managing Director at Human Resource Learning Center and Chairperson, Kaar-e-Khair, and Maryam Bader, Project Lead, Kaar-e-Khair. It provided the guests with an opportunity to engage with young learners and gain first-hand insights into the community-based education response being advanced for children facing barriers to formal schooling.
In collaboration with Kaar-e-Khair, ACT International is implementing the NCLB initiative through an evidence-informed and child-centered approach. The intervention began with a door-to-door assessment covering 3,402 households to identify out-of-school children, understand barriers to educational participation, and establish pathways for enrolment, referral, and continued learning.
Translating evidence into action, the initiative has established a Non-Formal Education learning space in UC-16 Darwala, where 66 children are currently enrolled across Grades 1 to 5 through a multigrade learning approach. The intervention demonstrates how community mobilization, localized learning solutions, and sustained follow-up can contribute to addressing educational exclusion.
The visit underscored the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in strengthening inclusive education systems and expanding learning opportunities for underserved children. ACT International and Kaar-e-Khair remain committed to building partnerships that can strengthen access, participation, retention, and continuity of learning, ensuring that no child is left behind.