Staff Reporter
The Covid-19 pandemic has multiplied the challenges of learning particularly for boys and girls having limited resources.
Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said this while addressing a webinar at the launch of the study report titled ‘Measuring Learning Losses due to Covid-19.’
The Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, with the support of United Nations Children’s Fund, has launched the report.
Shafqat Mahmood said learning poverty. He said the learning losses study would help the government work towards improving the learning levels of children in coordination with provincial governments.
The survey covers a total of 9,392 households, 25,448 children aged 3-16 and 21,589 children aged 5-16 (43% girls and 57% boys), 457 government schools and 198 private schools.
According to the report, enrollment for age group 6-16 has dropped by 2% in 2021 compared to enrollment for the same age group in 2019.
UNICEF Pakistan Education Chief Ellen Kalmthout said that the report is a big step forward to think upon what can be done to bring children back to school, especially post Covid-19 while also creating alternative learning pathways for children.
“At the end, children do need schools. They can’t learn on their own.” During school closures parents/caregivers stepped up to support their children’s learning. Support from household members is reported at 63% by children as a very positive response.
