Aga Khan University Universal Primary Education Seminar for Senior officials and education leaders from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Bangladesh,Pakistan and Eygpt, Mongolia, Syria and Nepal, 7 - 25, February, 2005

Early childhood learning interventions are increasingly being established as essential to optimising human development and having beneficial impact on high and timely school enrolment, less grade repetition, lower dropout and higher school completion rates in primary education. (UNICEF, 2001)

Consistent with the mandate of Ministers at 15CCEM to address "Achieving Universal Primary Education" as one of the six action areas, the education programme in its role as Advocate, Broker and Catalyst has been working with national and regional institutions in Commonwealth member countries to address Good and Promising Practices in UPE Achievement.

 

 

Children at Katchi school

n February 2005, as an outcome of a collaboration between the Commonwealth Education programme and The Aga Khan University, a three-week intensive residential programme was presented, addressing Human Development from the critical standpoint of the early years (0- 6). Targeted at education leaders and senior officials from Pakistan as well as Commonwealth countries such as Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda and beyond the programme addressed the roles of Health, Nutrition, Neurobiology, Brain Development, Genetics and Child rearing practices from the perspective of determining their influence on the later development of the child. Field visits to rural schools and the pre-primary "Katchi" classes also complemented the programme.

Course participants

The Commonwealth Education section carried a message which encouraged the participants to see the programme as vital in striving for UPE in their countries. Field visits to schools, parents meetings and even the home of a villager provided clear evidence of the innovative work in which the Aga Khan Educational Service is involved and reconfirmed the importance of early childhood /pre-primary interventions influencing primary school teaching/learning methodology and access and enrollment for all, but for girl children in particular in Pakistan.

 

Source:UNICEF website