​School Improvement Programme

An initiative to transform schools and communities in Northern Pakistan, in partnership with local government.​

  • Duration: 2016 to date

  • Target area:  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (2 districts: Lower and Upper Chitral) and Gilgit-Baltistan (5 districts: Ghizer, Hunza, Ghanche, Diamer and Kharmang)

  • Funding organisation: Aga Khan Foundation

  • Implementer: AKU-IED's Professional Development Centres in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral


Project Aim

The project focuses on improving children learning outcomes in public sector community and low cost private schools in some of the most marginalised areas, ​by strengthening the capacity of all stakeholders to support them.

  • Teachers through professional development and their ability to build peer networks for learning and support.

  • Head teachers and officials through learning about and practicing instructional leadership.
  • Government community members and parents through enabling them to support children learning.

Impact to date

More than more than 360 schools, 2000+ teachers and 38,000+ students have benefited from the project.

Key Success Indicators

As a result of project initiatives parents now feel a sense of ownership in their children’s learning. Teachers and community members also point to the radical mindset shift that has occurred in parents especially mothers. Further, communities are active as powerful catalysts for change. Building relationships with government officials has improved access to information and allowed communities to feel recognized and supported. Teachers, too, demonstrate improved classroom practices (utilising child centered activities).
 
The project schools are beginning to show better enrollment, retention rates and learning outcomes according to stakeholder reports. The students are now more eager to come to school and as a result of borrowing books from project-supported libraries, they are better readers.
 
The project has also shattered the myth that government schools are made-up of unengaged teachers and disinterested parents. Government schools are also now emerging as schools of choice.