Alif Ailaan Update February 2014 February at Alif Ailaan • Celebrating one year of Alif Ailaan • It’s In Our Hands: a campaign to highlight the stories of Pakistan’s education heroes • Expanding our reach in Sindh: building bipartisan political consensus for education reform • Deepening our ties in Balochistan: encouraging local government to take ownership of education • Endorsing the Meesaq-e-Ilm, a charter for teaching in Pakistan • Working with parents and communities on the ground 2 2 It’s In Our Hands One year of Alif Ailaan For the past year Alif Ailaan has talked about the urgency of Pakistan’s national education crisis and we have been successful in highlighting that there is a problem. To mark our first anniversary we want to inject a message of hope and purpose into the national education discourse. It’s In Our Hands is a coordinated media campaign to showcase the successes of Pakistan’s education heroes. 3 3 It’s In Our Hands Stories selected from all over Pakistan We selected 31 stories that encompass a wide range of successes, are scalable and replicable, represent public- and private-sector initiatives, and highlight exemplary individual contributions. Sham Baba – Swat . Adam Foundation . NAMAL – Mianwali . ASER . DIL Network . PCE . Sheikh Ijaz – MPA . Master Ayub PML-N . RSPN . Roshan Pakistan . Ilm Ideas – Resources for deaf children . EDO – DG Khan . HEC . Rasoolpur - Rajanpur . Insaan Dost . The Citizens . SOS Children’s Foundation (TCF) Village . Minhaj Education . Alif Laila Book Bus Society Society . Humaira Bachal’s . Umer Saif’s E- Street School Learning Project . Spelling Bee . Archdiocese . Ida Rieu . Khawarizmi Science . Teachers’ Resource Society Centre . Garage School . Literate Pakistan . READ Foundation . Indus Resource . Sindh Monitoring Center System 4 4 It’s In Our Hands Television Five ads on inspirational Individuals and organisations making change happen. 788 primetime spots on 8 major channels 5 5 It’s In Our Hands Radio We highlighted exceptional organisations helping to educate Pakistan’s children and improve the quality of education. 1,738 drive-time spots across 11 radio stations 6 6 It’s In Our Hands Print and website Every story published on our website and there were 32 insertions in 8 major English and Urdu newspapers 7 7 It’s In Our Hands Social media We showcased these stories on our social media platforms. 8 8 It’s In Our Hands As a result of our campaign, nearly 200 citizens sent letters to their Responses elected representatives through our website. And one provincial minister wrote back… Sardar Muhammad Idrees MPA-PTI (PK-48 Abbottabad) responded personally to a letter he received from a voter in his constituency 9 9 Expanding our reach in Sindh Sindh’s Promise to its Children On February 20 nine political parties in Sindh committed to education reform, signing a political charter to ensure 100% enrolment and to improve the quality of education From left: Asif Baladi (JSQM), Muhammad Hussain Mehanti (JI), Sherry Rehman (PPP), Nisar Khuhro Minister Education, Faisal Subzwari (MQM), Mahtab Rashdi (PMLF), Irfanullah Marwat (PMLN) 10 10 Expanding our reach in Sindh Sindh Assembly commits to education reform On February 21 a resolution was passed unanimously in the Sindh Assembly, committing to ensure 100% enrolment and to improve the quality of education. The resolution was presented by Sindh Education Minister Nisar Khuhro. 11 11 Expanding our reach in Sindh Engaging with Sindh’s political leadership On February 14 Alif Ailaan visited Bilawal House in Karachi to meet with the top leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party. We briefed them about our work and about the need for urgent action to address the state of education in Sindh. Clockwise from left: Sana Kazmi (Alif Ailaan consultant), Murtaza Solangi (Alif Ailaan consultant), Fazlulllah Pechuho (Secretary Education Sindh), Hasham Riaz Sheikh (Assistant to Chairperson PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (Chairperson PPP), Sherry Rehman (former ambassador USA), Nisar Khuhro (Senior Minister Education), Mosharraf Zaidi (Alif Ailaan Team Leader) 12 12 Expanding our reach in Sindh Building a women’s caucus We held a session on February 7 in Karachi to lay the foundation for a women’s caucus for education in Sindh. Women MPAs from three major political parties attended the session. Top: Alif Ailaan political advocacy campaign manager, Salman Naveed, addressing MPAs from the Pakistan People’s Party, Muttahida Quami Movement and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Right: Sharmila Farooqi, MPA (PPP). 13 13 Expanding our reach in Sindh Rallying for change Our education activists in Larkana (left) and Matiari (below) gathered together civil society organisations and political parties to demand urgent action against ghost schools on February 6 and 18. A torch rally held in Larkana culminated at the residence of Sindh Education Minister Nisar Khuhro. 14 14 Strengthening our ties in Balochistan Balochistan’s pledge to education reform On February 22 we brought together winning candidates of the local bodies elections in Quetta to discuss and take ownership of the state of education in Balochistan. Local bodies representatives signed a pledge to take specific steps to improve the state of education in the province. From left: Handri Masih Baloch, MPA, National Party; Local bodies representatives; the pledge with signatures 15 15 Strengthening our ties in Balochistan Owning education reform A rally to demand implementation of Article 25-A was held in Loralai. More than 700 participants, including parents, politicians and representatives of civil society organisations joined the walk. Left: Participants head the rally holding a banner that reads “It’s in our hands”; Above: Children holding the Alif Ailaan pledge card 16 16 Strengthening our ties in Balochistan Working to curb teacher absenteeism Our education activist in Lasbela brought together more than 150 parents, politicians and representatives of civil society organisations to lead talks on the alarming rate of teacher absenteeism in the district. During the event, held on February 9, speakers called for the merit-based recruitment of teachers and discussed ways to solve the issue of teacher absenteeism. Speakers: • Anwer Ali ,Social Welfare Officer • Azeem Saiyan, PMLN • Ghulam Rasool, former Union Nazim • Rafeeq Baloch, Headmaster, Boys High school, Hub • Rafeeq Baloch, Deputy District Education Officer • Rajab Ali Rind, National Party 17 17 Supporting our partners Storytelling the education story On February 4 we hosted a special screening to tell the story of education campaigning in Pakistan. Nine short films celebrating the work of our partners were screened for a packed audience. More than 100 friends and supporters joined us at the event in Islamabad. Members of the panel (from left), Khurram Dastgir, Federal Minister for Commerce; Raza Rumi, columnist and political analyst; Nasreen Sheikh, Education Campaign Manager, Rural Support Programmes Network; and Maliha Tanvir, MPA-PTI, Mansehra 18 18 Supporting our partners Children’s Literature Festival Our partner, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi, organised the Children’s Literature Festival in Karachi. We were there to lend our support and used the opportunity to talk to parents, students and teachers about our work. 19 19 Endorsing the Meesaq-e-Ilm Bringing together Pakistan’s teachers On February 9 in Lahore we convened a meeting of 40 teachers union representatives from all four provinces to decide on an electoral framework for the Mutahida Mahaz-e-Asataza, a national alliance of teachers unions. Left: Haji Abdul Manaf, Secretary General of the Mutahida Mahaz-e-Asataza, with the elected leadership of the alliance; Above: union representatives during the opening session 20 20 Endorsing the Meesaq-e-Ilm Meesaq-e-Ilm convention Clockwise from top: Khalida Mansoor (MNA, PMLN), Sheikh Ijaz (MPA, PMLN), Sardar Javed Akram (Commissioner Faisalabad), Kaneez Fatima (MPA, PMLN); Sheikh Ijaz (MPA, PMLN); Sardar Javed Akram, Commissioner Faisalabad, addressing the participants On February 20 we held a Meesaq-e-Ilm Convention in Faisalabad to attract greater endorsement of the charter for teaching in Pakistan. MPA Sheikh Ijaz, along with MPAs and MNAs from the surrounding districts of Chiniot, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh, committed to the Meesaq in front of an audience of 600. 21 21 On the ground Finding local solutions Basti Jaito District Bhawalnagar in southern • Shortage of Punjab has some of the worst teachers • No drinking education indicators in the water country. Our education activists • No electricity in girls’ primary held 4 village-level sessions to school • No secondary identify problems and find school for girls solutions. Basti Joranan • No boundary wall in girls’ school Kot Allayar Basti Shah Wali • No furniture in • 800 students • No electricity boys’ school • 12 teachers • No drinking water 22 22 On the ground Strengthening the voice of parents From February 11 to 20 Parents’ demands our education activist in • No corporal punishment Lahore conducted • No bribery and corruption community sessions to • Focus on discipline • Provide proper school help parents raise their infrastructure voice for improved schools • Better trained teachers in their areas. • Include sports in the curriculum From left: A list of parents’ demands; talking to mothers in Kullar Colony; a mother in Mariam Colony writing down demands 23 23 On the ground Getting the word out We held consultations and forums on the Meesaq-e-Ilm and the importance of education in Balochistan,