Pakistan's literacy programme in tribal districts faces uncertain future

Peshawar [Pakistan], July 20 (ANI): The future of the Literacy for All in FATA programme, launched in 2016 to educate out-of-school children in Pakistan's merged tribal districts, has come under uncertainty due to financial and administrative delays, The Express Tribune reported.
According to The Express Tribune, nearly 269 teachers working under the programme have not received salaries for more than 30 months, while the education of over 18,000 students enrolled in 191 Community-Based Education (CBE) centres is at risk.
Despite prolonged non-payment, many teachers have continued conducting classes in remote areas.
The Express Tribune reported that several teachers described severe financial hardship. A teacher from Kurram district said she has been teaching nearly 70 girls for eight years and continues to pay for her daily travel to a remote village from her own pocket despite not receiving a salary for almost three years.
Another teacher from Bajaur district said educators initially faced resistance from families but succeeded in increasing girls' enrolment through awareness campaigns and community outreach. Many former students have since gone on to perform well academically, she added.
Teachers from Orakzai and Bajaur told The Express Tribune that the centres remain a vital source of education in villages where no government or private schools exist.
Some centres continue operating with limited facilities, lacking basic classroom furniture and teaching materials.
According to The Express Tribune, the programme was launched under the former FATA Annual Development Programme and, following the merger of the tribal districts, came under the Merged Areas Education Foundation (MEAF) within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department.
Of the 209 centres originally established, 191 remain operational, employing 269 teachers and seven literacy supervisors, with girls making up the majority of enrolled students.
Education experts told The Express Tribune that more than 1.2 million children in the merged districts remain out of school and urged the government to permanently integrate the community-based education programme into the provincial education system.
Although the project was proposed for inclusion in the government's recurrent budget and the 2025-26 Annual Development Programme, approval has yet to be granted, leaving its future uncertain. (ANI)