presentation: progressive education network

Progressive Education Network

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Progressive Education Network is a non-profit company that provides quality education to under-privileged children across Pakistan.

The Education Crisis in Pakistan

34% of Pakistanis are under 14.

50% of those children are out of school.

46% of primary schools do not have furniture

24% of primary schools do not have textbooks

40% of public schools have do not have a proper toilet

30% of public schools do not have clean drinking water

50% of primary students drop out before Class 5

Our Approach PEN adopts failing public schools from district Governments, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework, and implements reforms in each adopted school that yield improved student learning. We also provide vital missing facilities to create an environment that is conducive to learning. • Focus on Primary Education We are mainly focused on primary education where development of student’s reading, writing and arithmetic skills plays a critical role in their future academic success. • Public-Private Partnership Framework After evaluating several models in the education sector from around the world, PEN Founders decided that it was much more efficient to adopt underserved public schools over a long period of time; this would allow us to add and build on their existing infrastructure and have an immediate impact on the student population by implementing our own reforms and programs. • Improvement of Academic Standards The highest percentage of our resources goes towards academic improvement and educational initiatives for the children; which entails teachers’ training, addition of teachers, enrolment campaigns, co-curricular activities, I.T. education, etc. • Co-Curricular Activities Co-curricular activities are a significant part of our standard intervention in public schools. We organize inter-school sports competitions as well as debates, creative writing, Qirat, Naat, quizes and Spellathon. • Provision of Vital Missing Facilities In terms of infrastructure, our intervention is limited to provision of basic amenities to the students and teachers, ensuring their access to clean and cold drinking water, properly-lit and ventilated classrooms, suitable washrooms, and furniture.

Our Work Locations:

• Lahore • Gujrat • Sheikhupura • Narowal • Muzaffargarh • Thatta • Karachi


Presently, PEN is providing quality education to 22,166 students in 85 public schools across Pakistan.

Academic Reforms Increase student enrollment through

community outreach Develop teachers’ pedagogical skills Train Head Teachers

Add teachers to reduce class size

Deliver early childhood education Impart life-skills training Provide free student notebooks

Free teaching aids Conduct student assessment Reward students and teachers


Provision of Vital Missing Facilities

Build new classrooms and toilets where needed

Provide clean and cold drinking water

facility Provide furniture for students and

teachers Carry out routine maintenance work, i.e.

paint work, fixtures, electric items, etc. Hire Ayas (cleaning ladies) for each school


Before

Government Primary School, Kot Lakhpat

Before

Washrooms at Government Girls Elementary School, Sheranwala gate

Before

Open Sewerage: Governemnt Girls Middle Sschool, Feroze Watwan

Before

Organize Co-Curricular Activities

Inter-school Sports Essay and Creative Writing Debates, Model UN, etc. School Tours Life-skills training Student festivals


Computer Education

Build state-of-the-art Computer labs Develop Computer Curriculum Provide Computer Science

Instructors


PEN Student Represents Pakistan at the UN


Ms Darkhshan Jokhio, PEN student from Government Girls Secondary School, Ward No.1, District Thatta represented Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. She was elected as a member of Students’ Representative Council to represent the girls of Pakistan at the UN in New York. Ms Jokhio has recently completed her matriculation from PEN adopted-school and is currently doing her Intermediate from Degree College, Thatta. She belongs to a low-income family; her father works as a postman. The family moved to Thatta city from a remote village in Sindh so Ms. Jokhio and her siblings could get better quality education. Her father’s decision to move for the sake of his children’s education inspired other people to follow in his footsteps. Ms Jokhio spoke on issues of child rights and literacy during her address at the UN General Assembly as a student representative of Pakistan. Moreover, she had a series of discussions on Girls Education which was moderated by New Zealand’s princess. The title of Ms. Jokhio’s speech was, “Girls Education and Early Child Marriages Practices in Pakistan.” “I’m extremely grateful to my teachers, mentors and parents,” said Ms. Darkshan Jhokio. “My teachers encouraged me to participate in extra-curricular activities to complement academics and this is what honed my public

speaking skills.” During her visit, Ms. Jokhio had the opportunity to meet President Obama and Mrs Michelle Obama. She also met former US President Clinton and many other international dignitaries. Ms. Darkhshan wants to become a Navy officer when she grows up.

Art Prodigy Wins


Last year, the Government of Punjab invited art students from all over the province to participate in a logo design competition for the newly-promulgated Right to Information Act. The winning logo design would be used to promote the benefits of the Right to Information Act and how ordinary citizens can use it to request information from Government departments in the interest of transparency and accountability. Members of PEN’s Academic department went to our adopted schools and encouraged students to participate in the contest. Two weeks later, our teams collected the drawings from the students and submitted them to the Government of Punjab. A few months later, the Government of Punjab invited the participants to the Alhamra Art Complex for a small ceremony to announce the winner of the logo-design contest. We arranged for our students to attend the ceremony with the hope that it will be a learning experience for our little art enthusiasts. The contest was judged by Ms. Salima Hashmi – former principal of the National College of Arts, Lahore, which is a premier art institution of Pakistan. The first prize, predictably, was won by a student of the National College of Arts, Lahore. But, to everyone’s surprise, the runner’s up prize went to a little girl, Ms. Fiza Nawaz. Ms. Fiza Nawaz is a student of Class VI at the Government Girls Middle School, Chaudhry Colony, Lahore – which was adopted by PEN in 2010.

We were thrilled to find out that Ms. Fiza Nawaz had beaten students from the country’s top art school to win the second prize in the logo design contest. Ms. Fiza Nawaz was accompanied by her mother at the ceremony and she couldn’t have been more proud of her daughter. Ms. Fiza lives near Government Girls Middle School, Chaudhry Colony, Samnabad in a rented apartment. Her mother works as a cook in people’s homes and her father passed away during an armed robbery at a company’s warehouse where he was working as a security guard. Ms. Fiza plans to enroll in National College of Arts, Lahore after completing her intermediate education from Kinnaird College for Women. She wants to become an artist when she grows up. “She’s always been good at drawing,” said a gleaming Mrs. Nawaz. “It was her father’s wish to see his only daughter get the highest education and I work day in and day out to make that dream come true.”

The Next Bapsi Sidhwa?


Every year, Little Art organizes a creative writing contest in English language among students of private schools in Lahore. In 2014, PEN partnered with the Little Art to include public school students in the annual creative writing contest. Over 2,000 participants from public and private schools all over Lahore were required to write an essay titled, “My ideal personality.” Ms. Komal Latif, Class VIII of Government Girls Middle School, Kot Lakhpat, chose a farmer from her neighborhood as her ‘ideal personality.’ She’s inspired by his hard work, honesty, and a positive attitude in the face of adversity. He has to contend with steep leasing rates for farming land, and climate change which brings with it droughts and unseasonable rains. Given the lack of resources, the farmer has to work hard under the glaring sun without machines. She wrote that a farmer’s work yields wheat – staple of every Pakistani’s diet. Ms. Komal’s essay won first prize among 2,000 participants. She’d only started to learn English a couple of years ago when the Government changed the curriculum to English-medium. Her competitors – private-school students learn English from Class KG. “Komal is a voracious reader,” said Ms. Riffat – English teacher at Government Girls Middle School, Kot Lakhpat. “She asks me to bring her books in English language which I get for her from the Children’s complex.”

Ms. Komal’s family has to make do with very limited financial resources. When her father passed away in 2009, Komal had to drop out of school and work in people’s homes to make ends meet as her mother couldn’t afford house rent, utilities, etc. much less her education. When PEN’s academic team came to know they began to visit Komal’s home and persuade her mother otherwise. After weeks of persuasion, Komal’s mother decided to let her finish her education on the condition that she’ll work in the evenings. In order to support her three siblings, Ms. Komal does laundry work for people in her neighborhood after returning home from school. However, she remains determined to finish her education and enroll in University of Education, Lahore to become a teacher.

Against All Odds


Mr. Sajid Ali epitomizes perseverance. The youngest of seven brothers, Sajid is the only one among them to have completed primary education. His father is a drug addict who makes a living by herding goats for other people in his village. His mother is a housewife and visually-impaired. Sajid’s brothers have abandoned the family, two of them were last heard from when they were imprisoned for drug-related offenses. “I know his family and all I can say is that you haven’t seen extreme poverty until you’ve met them,” said Mr. Shehzad, Head Teacher of the Government Boys Middle School, Sadhoki. “He’d often come to school without any shoes and the teachers would all pitch in to buy him shoes.” The teachers really liked him because he often scored the highest position in class. Mr. Shehzad recalls that quite a few times Sajid Ali would fall unconscious during morning assembly because he hadn’t had anything to eat for a couple of days. When Sajid Ali started in Class VI, he became irregular and would stay absent for weeks on end. After a long summer break, Sajid Ali stopped coming to school altogether. Mr. Shehzad saw him herding goats with his father one day and struck his name off the student register. When PEN adopted Government Boys Middle School, Sadhoki, Mr. Shehzad mentioned Sajid Ali’s case to PEN’s academic team. He was particularly saddened that Sajid had dropped out because he saw so much potential in the young boy.

PEN’s academic team members visited Sajid’s mother to convince her to let him continue his education. Sajid’s mother wanted her son to go to school but felt that he’d more useful to the family by earning daily wages. Sajid’s father was adamant that he should not go to school. “What the use?” asked Mr. Ali Akbar, Sajid’s father. “It’s not as if our son will ever become a Government officer. This way at least he brings home a couple of hundred rupees daily.” PEN’s academic team didn’t give up there. They kept visiting Sajid’s home. After several visits, they managed to convince Sajid’s parents to send him to school in return for an offer to sponsor his education. PEN offered to finance his college education as well. Sajid Ali returned to school and rarely took days off. Last year, Sajid Ali won the top prize in PEN’s inter-school essay writing competition in Urdu. This year, Sajid Ali scored 91% marks in Class VIII exams and scored the highest marks in Urdu language across District Lahore in PEC exams. He wants to become a police officer after completing his education.

Corporate Profile


Registered with Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan under the Companies Ordinance 1984. Companies registered under the above-mentioned ordinance have to comply with strict regulations of governance, audit and reporting under SECP’s supervision. PEN is certified by the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy and under ISO 9001 for compliance with best practices in internal governance, financial management and program delivery.

Auditor: Certifications:

Our Core Values


We believe that the success of PEN’s initiatives is founded upon commitment to our core values: 1. Social Responsibility

Basic education is a fundamental right of every child. Since the public sector is failing in it, intervention by private sector is a social responsibility of all in order to develop a modern forward looking nation.

2. Corporate Governance

The company shall be operated with the highest levels of corporate governance.

3. High Impact

The interventions must be high impact and reach the masses through public school system. While maintaining a minimum acceptable standard of physical facilities, the focus is what goes on in the classroom.

4. Radical Transparency

All information available to all stakeholders.

Our Goal


Provide quality education to

1,000,000 children by 2025

Our Founders Mr. Adnan Asdar Ali Founder & CEO – AAA Associates & Multinet Pvt. Ltd. B.S. & M.S.-University of Wisconsin, Madison

Mr. Agha Shahid Majeed Khan Collector Customs Master of Commerce -University of Strathclyde (Glasgow)

Mr. Ahsan Imran Shaikh Chief Executive – Millat Equipment Pvt. Ltd. M.B.A. -USA, Master of Administrative Sciences - PU, Lhr.

Mr. Nadeem Babar Founder & CEO – Orient Power Pvt. Ltd. B.A. & B.S. – Columbia University M.S. – Stanford University

Dr. Arif Nazir Butt Dean of Business School at LUMS PhD in Management - McGill University, MBA from LUMS MS Engineering – Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Shujaat Nadeem Chairman SAMBA Bank Pakistan B.Sc., M.Sc. & Ph.D. – Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mr. Omar Khayyam Sheikh Founder & CEO - Hadayatsons B.A. – Columbia University E.M.B.A. - LUMS

Contact Us


Head Office: 57 – Tipu Block, New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan. Tel: + 92 42 3584 2554 Email: [email protected] Web: http://pen.org.pk Facebook.com/penpk Twitter.com/penpk Instagram.com/penpk2005

mailto:[email protected]

http://pen.org.pk/

presentation: progressive education network

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