ILMUNATE – Bridging Learning Gaps in Girls Community Schools using ICT

The Elementary & Secondary Education Foundation (ESEF), is an autonomous government organization working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. In collaboration with local communities it has established a total of 2,213 Girls Community Schools (GCSs) , providing a viable option for primary education in localities where public schooling is not available. For GCS, the local community provides the infrastructure, including the building and electricity, while the government pays for the local teacher and provides free textbooks. These schools are currently serving over 121,000 children in 25 dsitricts in KP. The schools have been struggling mainly due to non-availability of quality teachers locally or within the community, as 1,740 (i.e. 79 %) of these schools are single teacher schools; and the highest qualification for 1,100 of these teachers is just intermediate. So, almost half of the GCS are operating without appropriately qualified teacher. This situation created a demand for an innovative solution to provide students of GCSs with access to quality teaching resources. 

ILMunate is an ICT based innovative solution designed by TeleTaleem for ‘Bridging Learning Gaps in Girls’ Community Schools Using Technology and Innovation’. The project objective is to provide remote access to students attending GCSs in marginalised communities across KP. The project was initially implemented with financial assistance from Ilm Ideas 2, a DFID funded education innovation program, TeleTaleem and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund. It is active in 139  GCSs in 13 districts of KP – namely Abbottabad, Charsaddah, Chitral, Lukki Marwat, Malakand, Mansehra, Mardan, Nowshehra, Peshawar, Swat, DI Khan and Dir.   

Project Components

The project interventions comprise online remote teaching and teacher training services, both synergistic and impacting the learning competencies of students and teachers of a community-based school and its catchment area. Every project school is equipped with a digital classroom, comprising of a laptop, LCD TV, mic/camera and UPS. Using wireless internet, these digital classrooms are connected live to specialist teachers/teacher trainers, sitting in remote facilities to deliver online teaching and training sessions. 

Beneficiaries

  • Schools: 144
  • Total Teachers: 300+ female teachers
  • Students: 21,218