STATUS OF ECCE IN ICT – STEPS TAKEN TO ALIGN ECCE TARGETS WITH SDG 4.2 SECOND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION, MAY 2-3, 2018

FEDERAL DIRECTORATE OF EDUCATION In ICT public sector educational institutions are administered by Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), Islamabad. FDE was established as an attached department of Ministry of Education in 1967 for providing educational facilities at various levels in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). It is now working under the administrative control of CA&DD.

MANDATE OF FDE The mandate of FDE is of wide range but specified and is stated as under: Implementation of Federal Government Education Policy in its full spirit Ensure provision of quality education to all the population of Islamabad Capital Territory with current enrolment of 215,000 students from Montessori to Post Graduate level. Management of resources (both human & physical) for all federal Government Educational Institutions which includes 423 educational institutions and 9663 teaching as well as 4423 non -teaching staff/posts

GROWTH OF FDE Year No of Institutions Total Remarks 1967 24 FDE initially established as attached department of M/O Education 1975 24+10+141 175 141 institution were transferred from Govt. of Punjab. 10 new institutions were established 1985 175+76+10 261 10 more institutions were transferred from Govt of Punjab. 76 new institutions were established 1995 261+12+78 351 78 new institutions were established 12 Model Colleges were transferred to FDE in 1993 from dissolved Ministry of Education. 2005 351+47 398 47 new institutions were established 2015 398+24 422 24 new institutions were established. 2016 till date 422+1 423 01 new College for Girls established in Bhara Kahu

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS UNDER FDE Category of Institutions Urban Sub Total Rural Boys Girls Co-Ed TOTAL IMSs Primary, Middle & High 21 33 62 116 132 135 8 275 391 IMCs / (F.G. Colleges) (HSSC to Postgraduation) 04 08 01 03 12 Islamabad Model Colleges (Prep to Postgraduation) 10 09 19 20 Total Institutions 35 47 144 133 138 279 423

79 Schools 116 Schools 67 Schools 55 Schools 74 Schools For effective Administration & Monitoring of 423 institutions there are 06 Educational sectors ( Urban-I & II, Nilore, Sihala, Ternol & Bhara Kahu). FG Colleges: 12 (Urban:8, Rural: SL:2, Bk:1, TL:1) Model Colleges: 20 (Urban:19, Rural:SL:1)

CATEGORY & SECTOR-WISE ENROLLMENT Inst. Sector Enrollment Male Female Total IMCs 20 20 U(19)+R(1) 22597 26962 49559 FGCs 12 12 U(9)+R(2) 7973 9784 17757 IMSs 391 116 City-Urban 30125 30758 60883 79 Bhara Kau 11267 12458 23725 67 Nilore 9275 10797 20072 74 Sihala 10154 12759 22913 55 Tarnol 9126 9738 18864 391 IMSs 77920 86294 164214 G. Total 423 All Institutions 100,517 113,256 213,773 Source: EMIS Data 2016 * NEW admissions are in progress.

FDE’S INTERVENTION ON ECE While Pakistan was struggling in terms of achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Education and Development sector, FDE had the vision to lead from the front in provision of quality primary and pre-primary education. With a paradigm shift FDE introduced student centred classrooms through an mega public-private partnership with Children Resources International. This projects equipped all primary classes (which were I-V in all and Prep-V in some cases) with teaching materials of international standard. After the development of first ever National Curriculum of ECE in 2007, Prep was made a recognised and compulsory grade level at all FDE schools to cater children of 4-5 years in Federal Government schools.

FDE’S INTERVENTION ON ECE … FDE then took numerous initiatives of public-private partnership for the capacity building of teachers to teach this non-conventional class. Few notables amongst them are UNICEF Child Friendly Schools, ESRA-Plus program of teaching through Interactive Radio Instructions, UNESCO Teaching of ECE Using Mobile Technologies and Trainings of ECE teachers by Plan Pakistan.

SDG 4.2: by 2030 ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

Early Childhood Development Care and Education @ FDE With this renewed concept of ECCE inclusive of care and development for early years, FDE still needs to adapt ways to incorporate the factors of Care and Development into its mainstream education system. However institutionalisation of ECCE has paved its way in FDE run institutions through introduction of Montessori Classes to introduce designated class for children 3-4 years of Education in selected schools of ICT, initially through an overwhelming support from private sector through building bonds of public-private partnership.

MONTESSORY THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP In 2016-2017 FDE started Montessori in 11 selected schools of FDE with the help of Private partners who provided with academic support in all and physical resource provision in most of the 11 Montessori classes. This numbers has reached up to 71 in 2017-2018 with both academic as well as physical resource provision by its private partners.

Growth of Public Private Partnership

TRAINED ECCE TEACHERS @ FDE As FDE got academic support from its private partners in the form of ECCE trained teachers in its Montessori Classes, FDE engaged its own teachers in the same very classrooms who received experiential capacity building at their respective sites. As the private partners leave after MoU for two years expire, FDE shall have its own pool of Montessori trained teachers in fully equipped classrooms.

TRAINED ECCE TEACHERS @ FDE FDE has successfully introduced specialised cadre of ECCE trained teachers with the designation of Montessori Teachers (BS-17) and Montessori Assistants (BS-14). Their rules have been successfully verified by Establishment Division and Federal Public Service Commission. The same have been notified too.

TRAINED ECCE TEACHERS @ FDE At beginner’s step 11 Montessori Teachers and 11 Montessori Assistants have been hired on contact through redesignation of its existing posts and now they are into their second year of contract. Now requisition of hiring of Montessori Teachers (BS-17) has been sent to FPSC and planning to hire of Montessori Assistants (BS-14) at FDE level is in pipeline.

REVISION OF CURRICULUM FDE has provided its full support in ECE Curriculum Revision in 2017 which was led by Ministry of Education and Professional Training. FDE’s official and nominated ECE experts have actively participated in this Curriculum revision and also provided support in re-shaping new books based on this revision. These new books written in guidelines of Revised ECCE curriculum are now being provided to the students in current academic calendar.

CHALLENGES FOR ECCE AT FDE Multi-sectoral stake holders to address all aspects of SDG 4.2. This asks for multi-layered consultative approach to design new pathways. In the wake of Act of Free and Compulsory education, budgeting cost exceeds allocated budget and leads to financial implications. Sustainability of current policies in the new government after upcoming elections Provision of age-appropriate furniture and building for ECCE (Montessori and Prep) classrooms in all of its schools.

A HARBINGER OF A NEW BEGINNING

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