LAHORE - On the footprints of Tele School Channel, Alight Pakistan and National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) in collaboration with Education Department of Gilgit-Baltistan have launched an online distance learning educational program on Radio Pakistan and FM channels for children in Gilgit-Baltistan districts on Tuesday.
Named as “Muallim,” the radio program would be aired on FM-93 Radio Pakistan and FM-91 Gilgit and Skardu at 2:00 pm and at Radio Pakistan’s Medium Waves 1512 kilohertz at 7:00 pm and daily, which would benefit hundreds of children who are unable to attend regular school classes due to lockdown in the wake of global coronavirus pandemic. Besides, it will be live-streamed on the facebook pages of FM-93 and FM-91 channels respectively for the benefit of children. Recordings of these educational programs would be available to download from facebook page and YouTube Channel of “Alight Pakistan”.
This online distance learning initiative by Alight Pakistan, NCHD and Gilgit-Baltistan Education Department would cater to educational needs of children in Grade-I, II and III as they would be taught subjects of Urdu, English, Mathematics and General Science with special focus on health and hygiene in unique story-telling and easy-to-understand style by qualified and trained teachers even in hard-to-reach remote areas to ensure equity in teaching. “Schools and colleges have been closed down and children are forced to stay at home due to coronavirus, this online distance learning initiative through Radio Pakistan and FM channels will help children keep themselves engaged with their studies,” says Dr Tariq Cheema, Country Head, Alight Pakistan.
“As the uncertainty about containment of pandemic and resultant lockdown prolongs, this distance learning initiative will mitigate the educational loss of children due to the closure of institutions and provide them learning opportunity at the doorstep,” said Chairman NCHD Col (Retd) Dr. Ameerullah Marwat, adding that the whole world is heading towards distant learning because nobody knows as to when the life would return to normalcy.
Alight Pakistan and Government of Pakistan through Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training have already launched a countrywide initiative in collaboration with Educate A Child (EAC) programme, a global programme of the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), to enroll one million Out-Of-School Children (OOSC) in Pakistan.
Through its strategic partners including provincial education departments, NCHD, BISP and other civil society organizations, Alight Pakistan is implementing this three years program in 56 districts of Pakistan where over 850,000 OOSC have been enrolled so far.