London, United Kingdom (CU)_ The United Kingdom has launched a 130 million-pound bilateral program to boost girls’ education in Pakistan, which will support approximately 17 million youngsters. The “Girls and Out of School: Action for Learning (GOAL)” program will assist the governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in enhancing outcomes for girls and the most disadvantaged children.
GOAL has two major objectives. In the least developed regions of Punjab and KP, GOAL will directly assist about 250,000 marginalized students to enroll and pursue studies in school. Additionally, it will encourage and assist an extra 150,000 girls to read by age 10. Initiated in May of this year, the Prime Minister’s Girls’ Education Action Plan outlines concrete actions to achieve the United Kingdom’s worldwide goals for girls’ education.
In reference to the United Kingdom’s financial support for Pakistani girls’ education initiative, High Commissioner Dr. Christian Turner stated that no nation can realize its full potential without 50 percent of its people. He said, “Getting girls into school is a key driver of growth, and we want to give girls ‘awaaz’ and ‘marzi’, voice and choice and unleash the potential of the next generation”.
GOAL aims to increase learning outcomes for at least 16.9 million students, including 7.8 million girls, by improving the provincial education systems in order to enhance the quality and equality of education, especially the quality of teaching, and to make the system stronger after the pandemic. The initiative will also improve children’s access to education and learning in a number of Commonwealth nations.
According to statistics, there are 132 million girls who have quit school studies worldwide, of which 9.2% (12.2 million) reside in Pakistan. As a result of lower enrollment rates and greater dropout rates for girls, especially during the transition from primary to secondary school, girls’ education remains a serious concern in Pakistan.
