The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT) has signed three contracts with Knowledge Platform (leading a consortium of four other education technology vendors — Orenda (Taleemabad), SABAQ (Muse), Learning Pitch, and NearPeer) to make K-12 content available across the country through both television and digital channels.
The initiative builds on the success of Tele School during the coronavirus pandemic, during which educational content (provided by Education technology vendors on a Pakistan Television Channel sponsored by MoFEPT) was viewed by over 7 million students.
Under the agreement, the content for the television and digital learning program will be provided by a consortium of EdTech companies led by Knowledge Platform. For Grades ECE-5, Knowledge Platform, SABAQ (Muse) and Orenda (Taleemabad) will provide content for Math, Science, English, and Urdu. For Grades 6-8, Knowledge Platform, Orenda (Taleemabad), and NearPeer will provide content for English, Math, and Science. For Grades 9-12, Knowledge Platform, Learning Pitch, and NearPeer will provide content for Math, English, Urdu, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Pakistan Studies.
Commenting on the latest move, Additional Secretary of MOFEPT, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary, said:
“Utilization of digital content in education sector in Pakistan will provide students of every stratum, the access to additional and useful learning methods which make education expedient. It is also important to mention that use of this content will provide students and institutions in even the most far-flung areas, multiple avenues of knowledge. Moreover, this initiative will go a long way in imparting traits of critical thinking and innovation among students in every nook and corner of the country.”
The companies will license their content for ECD through K12 to the government, and it will be disseminated via Tele School and digital channels to facilitate learning for over 50,000,000 students across the country. In addition, the consortia will conduct community engagement pilots and research to improve learning outcomes and establish scalable use cases. An accelerated learning program will also be made available for out-of-school children who have dropped out after completion of their primary education.
Speaking on the partnership, Chief Executive Officer of Taleemabad, Haroon Yasin, said:
“As teachers, we believe that Pakistani students have the potential to be among the top students and professionals across the globe. Partnerships of this sort serve to unlock this potential; putting world-class education at the fingertips of those who have traditionally been left out of the conversation.”
Syed Wajahat, CEO of Learning Pitch, added:
“Considering the economic crises and significantly rising fuel prices, this initiative will not only help millions of Pakistani students who are facing financial hardship but also accelerate educational technology adoption in Pakistan.”
Responding to the initiative, CEO of SABAQ, Hassan Bin Rizwan, said,
“After implementing our learning solution in over 2,000 schools across Pakistan, we are excited to work with other partners and the federal government to bring it to millions of kids so they can build a stronger foundation in K-5 subjects.”
Last month, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT) and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) signed an agreement for the provision of 04 educational OTT channels in order to deliver educational content to students across the country.
Co-founder of Nearpeer, Shahrukh Swati, said:
“With 45% of the population below the age of 22, Pakistan, as a nation, has huge potential. We can harvest this potential by using the right policies, government interventions, and technology. Nearpeer, being operational since 2017, is proud to be a part of the consortium that is going to impact millions of students and make them fall in love with learning.”
