It’s a sprawling, three-storey, meticulously kept, red brick campus located close to Lahore’s Old City. Prior to being taken over by CARE Foundation (the local non-profit for education), the Govt. High School, Chamra Mandi, once stood in an abysmal state.
With broken windows, rickety desks and chairs, zero sanitation and littered with garbage, the ramshackle structure was in a pitiable condition. Apart from the overall state of the institution, the school had only one teacher and zero students.
However, once it was adopted by CARE thirteen years ago, in 2006, Maruf Alam, an Area Manager at the non-profit, states that the campus now has a student enrollment of 2,000 children from Kindergarten till Grade 11.
Having been a part of CARE since 1999, Alam mentions that as soon as it took over the running of the school, it was decided to demolish the old structure and start afresh. Soon enough, in its place, a brand new building was established, with a large courtyard and 30 spacious classrooms.
“Public schools have too many bottlenecks that hamper the progression of a school,” states Alam, “Also, when they have a surplus of admissions, there’s a dearth of teachers. Apart from that, there is no check and balance in government schools. However at CARE’s adopted schools, we work according to outlined objectives and a joint mission; it’s an effortless system.”
Since its inception in 1988, CARE has undertaken the challenging task of adopting existing government schools that not only require serious renovation vis-a-vis the infrastructure, but also a complete makeover in the overall school system; from the syllabus to teacher training.
The school before it was taken over by CARE
For almost three decades, the non-profit has sought to adopt a strategy that expands and upgrades government schools, promotes access to higher, more creative learning opportunities (such as scholarships and language programs, to name a few), including the development of engaging curricula and regular teacher training to instill skills for effective pedagogy that encourages academic achievement.
Apart from standing as the pioneer of public-private partnerships in education (between the government and the non-profit), which entails adopting, upgrading and reforming government schools, the non-profit also constructs schools on donated land in areas where it feels there is a dire need for quality education. Well-constructed and well-managed schools help the foundation build its credibility in that particular region and allow it to extend its reach while broadening the scope of education.
The school after it was taken over by CARE
Currently, CARE owns 33 purpose-built schools, and has 855 public schools under its wing in Pakistan, educating more than 285,000 students across its primary, middle and secondary schools.
“The gaps in the public school systems are filled in by CARE and in a short span of time, the school undergoes a very tangible transformation,” Alam says, “For instance, in some cases, families have this mindset that irrespective of their daughters passing or failing their matric exams, they will be married off after their schooling. However, when we guide and counsel families and give scholarships for higher education, the mindset completely changes. Eventually, the children begin excelling in their studies.”
Since the beginning, CARE has sought to bridge the class divide between students enrolled in private quality institutions and students in public institutions, by creating a network of schools equal in standing to leading private schools.
As an advocate of a cohesive, multi-layered education strategy, the foundation ensures that education is made viable at all levels of school from the primary grades to high school, and seeks to improve school enrollment, reform failing governmental schools, provide opportunities for lifelong learning through assistance for higher education, continuously improve curriculum, innovate new learning strategies and improve teacher training and performance.
The foundation’s commitment to education and success in expanding its network to remote and underprivileged areas has also helped raise awareness about the benefits of education. Parents who weren’t keen on enrolling their children in debilitated government schools are now eager to enroll children in CARE schools. In a majority of cases where CARE has adopted run-down governmental schools, enrollment rates have often increased by over 300 percent. As a firm advocate of the UN sustainable development goals, CARE has endeavoured to promote education with special emphasis on female empowerment. Today, the female to male student ratio in the non-profit’s schools is approximately 52:48.
“This campus makes me very happy because I’ve seen such a shift in parent involvement,” Alam says, speaking about the non-profit’s Chamra Mandi campus, “It’s wonderful witnessing how a parent becomes a part of a child’s educational journey. I’ve seen it happen many times. Once parents see how their children are benefitting from a good education, there’s no looking back.”
In a country where approximately 22 million Pakistani children remain out of school, illiteracy stands as the greatest barrier to the country’s progress. Yet, amidst pressing challenges, CARE wholeheartedly takes public schools with marginalized children under its wing, in order to pave the way for better, more promising opportunities for the generations to come.
Regarding the future of education in Pakistan, Alam is optimistic – and yet all too aware that there still is a long way to go. “Education isn’t just about degrees, it also encompasses an understanding of the self and an awareness of one’s surroundings. Every child should be encouraged to discover who they are and their place in the world – because that gives birth to a new mindset which eventually creates a shift in society for the good.”
