Progressive Education Network (PEN) and the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) have signed a Letter of Understanding at PEN’s Head Office in Lahore today. The Letter of Understanding was signed by Col. (R) Dr Amirullah Marwat Chairman NCHD, and Dr. Muhammad Najeeb Khan, Chief Executive Officer of PEN following a meeting in which a detailed presentation on PEN was delivered.
According to the Letter of Understanding, both organisations will partner to impart education to under-privileged children across Pakistan. They have also agreed to launch projects that will improve the standards of public education, organize workshops for teachers, and share academic resources.
The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) is a Federal statutory body established in 2002 that among other areas, works on literacy, non-formal basic education and primary education by supporting Government’s line departments and operating schools nationwide.
They agreed to launch projects that will improve the provision and standards of public education
Progressive Education Network (PEN), a non-profit company, is registered under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984 with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. It provides quality education to under-privileged children across Pakistan. “We operate with the highest level of corporate governance and transparency,” said Dr Muhammad Najeeb Khan, CEO PEN.
Presently, PEN is providing quality education to 50,436 students through a network of 230 public schools nationwide. PEN adopts underserved Government schools under a Public-Private Partnership agreement. This allows PEN to build on Government’s existing infrastructure and implement reforms focusing on student enrollment, retention, drop-out, and international academic standards. PEN model focuses on provision and training of teachers, student learning and assessment, and character-building in addition to providing vital missing facilities. In the last two years, PEN’s intervention in public schools has produced positive outcomes: student enrolment has increased by 53 percent, and students’ average test scores have improved by 32 percent. We have also ensured that PEN students have access to basic amenities, such as clean drinking water, proper washrooms, clean school premises, etc.
“I am impressed with the work being done by PEN to develop learning resources for children in Pakistan and launching of PEN Academy,” said Col (R) Dr. Amirullah Marwat, after viewing a presentation on PEN’s interventions. Dr. Muhammad Najeeb Khan stated at the occasion, “NCHD and PEN are like-minded organizations who are endeavoring to provide quality education to under-privileged children to build a prosperous, forward-looking Pakistan.”
Published in Daily Times, March 6th 2019.
