Punjab to receive $47.9m WB grant for out-of-school children

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has sanctioned $47.9 million in funding for Pakistan aimed at improving education in Punjab and expanding access for children currently out of school.

The funding has been sanctioned under the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Fund. The project is expected to benefit more than 4 million children, including those at the pre-primary and primary levels.

The WB stated that the primary objective of the project is to enhance early childhood education, reintegrate out-of-school children into the education system, and strengthen learning opportunities for children with disabilities.

As per the World Bank’s statement, the program will directly benefit 80,000 out-of-school children and 140,000 children with disabilities.

Additionally, over 3 million students enrolled in government schools and around 850,000 children associated with non-formal education institutions will also be supported under the initiative.

Meanwhile, the project will also provide training and professional development opportunities to 1 million teachers and school leaders, which will improve the quality of education.

The WB further said that the project will not only lead to system reforms in Punjab but will also be an important milestone in the province’s sustainable educational development, which is fully compatible with the Punjab educational reform agenda.