Punjab, Pakistan: A second chance at learning and life
Story highlights
- With support from GPE and UNICEF, the government of Punjab is improving children’s foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
- Activity-based learning camps have served children at various educational levels—those struggling in regular classes, early dropouts, and those who have never enrolled in school.
- Almost 445,000 children have been equipped with essential skills to thrive in school.
In many classrooms across Punjab, children are showing up but not truly learning. According to the World Bank’s learning poverty study, 65% of enrolled children in Punjab can’t read or understand simple text by age 10.
The challenge begins early: only 17% of children between the ages of 3 and 5 are enrolled in early childhood education.
These numbers speak of a quiet crisis: learning poverty. However, change is taking root.
The government of Punjab, with funding from GPE and implementation support from UNICEF, is helping children in 12 low-performing districts—focusing on those who have never been to school or who have fallen far behind.
Through the TALEEM (Transformation in Access, Learning, Equity and Education Management) program, foundational literacy and numeracy camps give children a chance to catch up on lost learning and gain the confidence to thrive in regular classrooms.
Many participants, especially girls who missed early education due to poverty, household responsibilities or social barriers, are entering a classroom for the very first time. Flexible hours and a welcoming environment encourage them to return.
The camps create vibrant, safe spaces where teachers use play-based, and interactive methods to help children bridge gaps in reading and math.
The camp classrooms are designed to be child-centered and fun.
Students learn through songs, stories, group activities and visual aids, making each lesson engaging and memorable.
Playtime is learning too: dedicated time to play boosts creativity, confidence and cognitive development alongside academic progress.
Teachers receive training to support children at different learning levels, using innovative techniques to ensure no child feels left out or discouraged.
In 2022, during the flood emergency, GPE reallocated funds to restore WASH services and water points in the most affected schools across South Punjab.
This ensured children could return to classrooms with clean water and facilities, making it easier to stay healthier and focused on learning.
The goal of these camps is simple yet powerful: prepare children to transition into regular schools with confidence.
Equipped with essential skills, they are ready to learn and grow alongside their peers.
Meet Wasim
In the village of Sardar Wala, Lodhran, 7-year-old Muhammad Wasim once spent his mornings in the fields, pulling out weeds under the burning sun.
His mother and aunt worked beside him, earning just a little more than the daily wage his father brought home driving a rickshaw.
While they worked, Wasim watched other children walk happily to school carrying their colorful bags. He didn’t know exactly what they learned inside those classrooms, but he could see the joy on their faces, and longed to be one of them.
School, however, felt impossible. His family could not afford books or uniforms, and they did not believe education would change anything. Wasim’s dream stayed out of reach.
That changed when a teacher named Uzma came to visit. She didn’t just knock on the door—she opened it to a new future.
Uzma and her colleagues spoke with Wasim’s parents and explained how learning could give him real opportunities. They agreed to enroll him in the foundational literacy and numeracy camp.
“I like my classroom. I like my books. I like playing with my friends.”
Now, every morning, Wasim wakes up with a big smile.
With his own books and pencils, all provided by the program, he heads eagerly to class.
He is learning to read and write in Urdu and English, mastering basic mathematics, making new friends and growing in confidence.
“I want to be a teacher when I grow up, so I can help other children go to school too.”
Across 12 districts of South Punjab, over 14,000 foundational literacy and numeracy camps are opening doors for nearly 445,000 children, half of them girls.
Almost 95,000 of these children were out of school and are learning for the first time or returning to learning after long interruptions.
Thanks to programs like this, what was once a distant dream for many children is now a hopeful reality.
These camps send a powerful message: it is never too late to start learning, and every child, no matter their background or challenges, deserves the chance to succeed.
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