AS a child growing-up in New York City, I recall vividly how my brothers and I would help teach my mother how to read, often using a local newspaper. My parents were raised in a time and place when many children did not have an opportunity to attend school. My mother’s education ended after the fourth grade.

Although they lacked a formal education, my parents instilled in their children a love of learning, and the recognition that education was the key to escaping poverty. In that way, they were our first teachers, instilling in us the values that made us who we are today.

Today is the United Nations Global Day of Parents, which reminds us to appreciate our parents, to thank them for their selflessness and their investment in us. Today is also a chance to look at ourselves as parents and our roles in shaping the path our children will go on to live. Having raised two children of my own, I’ve seen where we as parents can make the most impact with our children, and that is undoubtedly through their education.

Parents must be at the forefront of education in Pakistan. We cannot leave education solely in the hands of teachers. It is important that parents across the country help spark a culture of reading. At USAID, we know that it’s important to improve the reading skills of first- and second-grade children by providing classrooms with engaging learning materials, training teachers in new instruction techniques and strengthening education policies, but we also know that ultimately it is not enough. What a child does after school hours will determine if he or she picks up the lifelong passion for reading and learning. And ultimately, this responsibility comes down to the commitment from parents.

Global Day of Parents is an occasion to review the path before our children.

The good news is that work is being done in this area throughout Pakistan. I have met parents who understand the importance of encouraging learning and reading at home. More schools in Pakistan are reaching out to parents and working to create opportunities to bring parents into the classroom.

These schools hold reading events where parents can participate with their kids in reading activities.

These events also teach parents about the importance of creating a reading environment at home.

The media can also play a constructive role in helping parents develop the tools to teach their children. Some of you may be aware of a television programme in the US called Sesame Street. Since 1969 this show, which was initially funded by government and private foundations, has helped children in basic reading and counting. It has given parents an understanding of how to educate their children at such a young age. A 1996 survey found that 95pc of all American preschoolers had watched the show by the time they were three years old.

While the media can help bring learning into the home, when we’re talking about reading we cannot forget the importance of books. Over here, one of our initiatives, the Pakistan Reading Project has four mobile libraries.

These buses bring reading materials to more than 300 communities across Pakistan. The trained librarians who staff these buses conduct storytelling sessions for children and young adults, and talk to parents about library services and the importance of literacy.

As parents, we know our work is never over. Sending our children off to school each day is only the start. It is vital that parents in Pakistan know that they have partners who support them at school, in the community, and driving down the street in a library on wheels.

Although every parent will have moments when they are not able to give their children the very best, being present is essential. By taking an active interest in my learning and choosing to invest in it, my parents proved that for me. I would probably have lived a different life had they not encouraged me to read, or even if they had not wanted to educate themselves.

Today, I am privileged to have a chance to work on projects that emphasise parent-child relationships and the education of children. The Pakistan Reading Project has been particularly close to my heart. As we move to educate 3.2 million children across the country, it’s both professionally and personally important for me to see projects like these flourish. It is also rewarding to see a system which is inclusive of teachers, parents, and children, and that focuses on the importance of developing reading skills as lifelong tools and resources.

Whether it’s figuring out how to tie their shoelaces or learning how to read, children need parents who are involved in the milestones of their lives.

The writer is USAID mission director.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2016