An exploratory study on the literacy programme of the TAF foundation for out-of-school children
Date of Award
12-2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Philosophy in Education
First Supervisor/Advisor
Dr Takbir Ali
Department
Institute for Educational Development, Karachi
Abstract
Education is the right of everyone. It transforms our minds and improves the quality of our life. Therefore, access to education is very important for each individual. Unfortunately, not all of us get opportunities to be educated in a manner that impacts our lives. Most of the children in Pakistan are deprived of education and are out-of-school due to multiple reasons (Badar, Faisal & Mason (2020). Globally 57% children are out-of-school. Out of which 34-37% children are out of school in Pakistan (Pradhan, et.al, 2018). To supplement government’s efforts many non-profit organizations are working towards provision of basic education opportunities to the children who remain out of school for various reasons. The TAF Foundation is one of the organizations that is actively engaged in the provision of literacy and life skills education to out-of-school children. It is implementing programmes aimed at provision of basic literacy and life skills to out-of-school children. The purpose of this research was to examine the Literacy Programme of the TAF Foundation for OOSC. The study explored the initiatives and strategies implemented by the TAF Foundation to provide basic literacy and life skills to OOSC. An exploratory qualitative research design was used to carry this study. Telephonic semi-structured interviews from four senior managers of the TAF Foundation were conducted. Also, relevant documents were obtained and analyzed. The findings of the study proposed that it is essential to equip everyone with basic reading, numeracy, and life skills. Non-Formal Education (NFE) and Vocational Trainings (VT) were found to be beneficial in educating and retaining out-of-school children. Education is a fundamental human right; however, not all Pakistanis have access to formal education owing to the country's weak economy and education system. Considering this, the TAF Foundation, after rigorous planning and market research, initiated projects to empower OOSC with basic literacy and life skills. It was found that the TAF Foundation used several strategies to execute programmes depending on contextual requirements. Conducting surveys, using accelerated curriculum, following flexible timings, training teachers, and employing teaching learning tactics are these strategies and could be implicated in our (Pakistani) context. In addition, the respondents made some ideas/recommendations for future to retain OOSC to educational institutions. Therefore, Non-Formal Education should be encouraged and provided to individuals who cannot access formal education. Similarly, all four themes(finding of the study) of this study presented the initiatives, strategies, and recommendations of the TAF Foundation to educate OOSC and retain them in school/campus by teaching them in Non-Formal Centers/Vocational Institute, providing them with free education, following a customized curriculum, and providing flexible scheduling.
Recommended Citation
Siddiqui, H. (2022). An exploratory study on the literacy programme of the TAF foundation for out-of-school children [MPhil Dissertation]. Aga Khan University.