A three-year campaign, ‘No Child Left Behind’, has been launched in Islamabad to enroll out-of-school children. The initiative has been introduced by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training under Federal Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. It is being implemented in collaboration with the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and the Islamabad Capital Territory Education Authority (ICT-PEIRA).
The campaign focuses on identifying 26 million out-of-school children through mapping, household surveys, and digital monitoring systems. These measures will help maintain accurate enrollment and attendance records. Authorities said the initiative will also make better use of existing school infrastructure by introducing double shifts and expanding classroom capacity.
Accelerated Learning Programmes (ALPs) will be implemented to help overage children complete missed education in a shorter time and transition into formal schooling. Officials noted that Pakistan continues to face serious education challenges, with a significant number of children still out of school, making urgent intervention necessary.
ICT-PEIRA has also initiated an enrollment data collection and regularisation drive to ensure verified student records across educational institutions. A review meeting chaired by Chairman ICT-PEIRA, Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah, emphasized coordination between public and private schools to achieve enrolment targets.
Dr. Mallah said the government is committed to providing quality education without discrimination and ensuring that no child remains deprived of learning opportunities due to poverty or limited resources. He added that improved enrolment, effective monitoring, and reliable data are essential for long-term education planning in the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Officials expressed confidence that the ‘No Child Left Behind’campaign will help reduce the number of out-of-school children and improve literacy outcomes by providing equal learning opportunities for all.
