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3. Part II: Case Studies of Community Learning Centres, PakistanThe CLC programmes selected for review in Pakistan are presented below in matrix form.Selected CLC Programmes from PakistanProvincePunjabBalochistanSindhNWFPSelected CLC ProgrammesThe Bunyad Literacy Community CouncilThe CLCs of the MMBMT, MianwaliCommunity Learning CentresThe Reflective Learning CentresWomen’s Literacy and Empowerment Program, Sindh Education FoundationProgramme of the Elementary Education Foundation3.3.1 Community Learning Centres in PakistanBackground ContextThe Islamic Republic of Pakistan, located in South Asia, is the sixth most populous country in theworld. The total area of the country is 796,095 square kilometres. Pakistan consists of a federation offour provinces, namely Punjab, Sindh, the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), and Balochistan,as well as the federally administered Tribal and Northern Areas (FATA and FANA). Each provinceis further divided into district governments under the country’s devolution programme. The majority ofthe population of the country is Muslim (96.19%), with the major minorities being Christians(2.48%) and Hindus (1.04%). Pakistan is basically an agrarian country and most of its population isengaged in agriculture. Table 6, below, presents some basic data on Pakistan and its population.CountryPopulation Size2005/2006Table 6: General Characteristics of PakistanAvg. AnnualPop. GrowthRate (%)GDPAnnualGrowth(%)Literacy Rate age 15+ % /yearPakistan 159 million 2.1 (2006) 6.2 (2006) Total: 54.00 (2007)Male: 66.25Female: 41.75Sources: World Development Indicators Database, April 2007; National Commission for Human Development,Pakistan, Progress Monitoring Report, April 2007The Literacy Situation in PakistanAlthough adult literacy in Pakistan has increased at the rate of about one per cent per annumsince 1981, it still remains very low, including in comparison to other countries in South Asia. Inthe area of adult literacy, a number of programmes and projects with a main focus on femaleliteracy have been initiated in both the public and private sectors. In addition, non-formal basiceducation schools are complementing formal school primary education courses by offeringlearning opportunities in those settlements where there are no regular primary schools at present,or where, despite the location of a primary school, there are still children who are out of school.However, lifelong and continuing education have to date received little attention in Pakistan.The issue of effective coordination in EFA planning, implementation and monitoring & evaluation hasbeen accorded critical importance at almost all levels. This recognition emerged from the strong36
ealization that, unless all of the principal EFA actors and stakeholders are effectively involved ateach stage, the achievement of EFA goals and targets may not be possible. EFA units atnational, provincial and district levels are intended to provide a platform to the respective fora forthe effective coordination and monitoring & evaluation of EFA activities and programmes at therespective levels.Community Learning Centers in PakistanThe paradigm of community involvement in development is not new in Pakistan. In practice it hasbeen proposed - and indeed implemented - in many forms for a number of decades, but hasyielded varying results. Over the past fifty years, the Government of Pakistan has incorporatedthis concept in programmes of village aid and rural development. These community-basedprogrammes, in their respective ways, have made useful contributions. Nevertheless, due tohighly centralized decision-making, literacy has suffered the most as a result of lack ofdecentralized, community-based initiatives.In Pakistan, the Punjab province has the largest number of CLCs, while other provinces havebeen gradually establishing CLCs over the past few years.In the following section, some selected case studies of Pakistan’s CLC programmes from all thecountry’s four provinces have been reviewed with the aim of assessing their nature, scope,planning and implementation process, with a special focus on highlighting their strengths,innovations, problems and challenges faced and the potential for their sustainability.3.2 Selected Case Studies from PakistanPUNJAB Case Study 1: Bunyad Literacy Community CouncilBackground ContextBunyad Literacy Community Council (BLCC) is an NGO working for female literacy and girls’education in the country, especially in the Punjab. The BLCC literacy and non-formal basiceducation programmes mainly focus on girls and women from poor, underprivileged communitiesin both rural and urban settings. The approach to their problems is holistic, and is characterizedby efforts to develop cross-sectoral linkages (e.g. literacy/education with health, micro credit)wherever possible. The BLCC, in recognition of its exceptional work in the fight against illiteracy,was awarded UNESCO’s Comenius Medal in 1998 and the King Sejong Literacy Prize in 2002.BLCC initiated CLCs from the time of their inception in 1998. The areas in which they werestarted up included the poorest of the province’s deprived districts, with the lowest literacy rates,particularly in the western and southern Punjab. Bunyad, with fourteen partners working in twelvedistricts, has used CLCs (also known as BERTIs or Basic Education Research TrainingInitiatives) in order to motivate grassroots communities to improve their quality of life enrich theirlivelihoods and promote a learning atmosphere. The original nine CLC sites, which expandedlater on to fourteen, were identified by Bunyad and supported by UNESCO, and subsequentlybecame NGOs in their own districts and have started up smaller CLCs using their own resources.Bunyad realizes that in the Punjab there needs to be one CLC in each Union Council (UC) - of whichthere are 5,400. The initial focal point can be the middle school, which could become a beacon oflearning for the deprived rural communities. Grassroots programmes can use CLCs as a place toshare their ideas and experiences with each other. With high dropout rates and increasing illiteracy, the37
Page 1 and 2: Good Practicesin Literacy & Non-For
Page 3 and 4: FOREWORDWithin the broad framework
Page 5 and 6: ContentsForeword 3Background Note 4
Page 7 and 8: AcronymsAECADBAGNCDAPPEALAPMATEOA/V
Page 9 and 10: 1 Introduction & Background to the
Page 11 and 12: Part II, which consists of case stu
Page 13 and 14: Special & Innovative Features of th
Page 15 and 16: The main aim of the CLC initiative
Page 19 and 20: of CLCs, participatory teaching-lea
Page 21 and 22: volunteer campaign. Classes were or
Page 23 and 24: how they can be fulfilled by CLC pr
Page 27 and 28: (iii)(iv)(v)(vi)preparation of an a
Page 29 and 30: Table 2: Selected Indicators of Str
Page 31 and 32: Table 4: Problems & Challenges face
Page 33 and 34: 2.2 Lessons Learned from the CLC Pr
Page 35: strengthen their vocational stabili
Page 39 and 40: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)s
Page 41 and 42: The potential for sustainability in
Page 43 and 44: Potential for SustainabilityLegal a
Page 45 and 46: Table 8: Innovative Features of the
Page 47 and 48: 3.5 Recommendations & Way Forward f

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