Mr. Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training chaired the 1st Inter-Provincial Secretaries’ meeting on Foundational Learning Policy and Roadmap today.

Mr. Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training chaired the 1st Inter-Provincial Secretaries’ meeting on Foundational Learning Policy and Roadmap today on 30th January, 2024. Mr. Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry while welcoming the Secretaries and high government officials from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh all senior officials of the Ministry asked to ensure that the efforts of federal and provincial education departments should focus on achieving improved learning outcomes for school children, especially in pre-primary and primary school grades.
The meeting reviewed the progress achieved by federal and provincial education departments towards developing Foundational learning policies and roadmaps since holding of the Pakistan Learning Conference by MoFEPT in June 2023. Mr. Waseem informed the participants that MoFEPT with the support of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the World Bank established a Foundational Learning Hub in September 2023 and piloted a project by introducing reading hour in some educational institutions under Federal Directorate of Education in Islamabad. He also requested that participants that work on foundational learning is extended to non-formal education institutes as well as to the private schools and Madaris.
Secretary Masood Khan from E&SED Khyber Pakhtunkhwa thanked MoFEPT for providing a platform to come together and collectively identify required interventions to achieve the desired academic results. Special Secretary Nauman Shah from SED Balochistan urged the leadership to lay emphasis on the length of the content for early primary grade students and improve quality of teachers through training etc. Dr Fouzia Khan from SE&LD Sindh informed that Sindh Government has notified a ‘reading period’ for primary grades in the scheme of studies. She also emphasised on providing better learning environment to children. Representative from PMIU Punjab highlighted the importance of focusing on tech and digital literacy in the future as well.
 
The meeting was able to achieve a consensus on the inclusion of grade appropriate numeracy skills in addition to a mandatory focus on reading and comprehension. It was also agreed that the foundation learning activities will focus upto grade 3 students. Special Secretary, MoFEPT highlighted the importance of good learning environment in schools which would ultimately improve learning abilities of students. Secretary MoFEPT reiterated his office’s support to all provinces in steering a clear and actionable policy on foundational learning.