ISLAMABAD, Sept 29: Deputy Assistant Administrator USAID for South Asia and Near East Mark Ward has predicted a great future for Pakistan in terms of education.

“Things are moving in a positive direction and the education system in the country is improving day by day,” he said while talking to mediapersons after visiting two schools in Bhara Kahu where improvement plans prepared by the Parents-Teachers Associations have been implemented with the cooperation of USAID- funded Education Sector Reform Assistance (ESRA) programme.

ESRA is the largest US-funded project working in 12 districts of Sindh and Balochistan besides the federal capital territory.

Education Officer USAID in Pakistan Thomas P. Crehan and Director General Federal Directorate of Education Brig Maqsudul Hasan were also present on the occasion.

Mr Ward said development was about change and it took time. He, however, said positive signs were visible here and lauded the proactive role being played by the PTAs for school improvement. He said he had perceived the idea of PTAs when he was head of the USAID mission in Pakistan. He said at that time he was not sure if the idea would work. Today, he added, he was delighted to see that the experiment was a great success.

He said standard of education in Pakistan was bound to go up as teachers were now commanding the system through the PTAs.

Asked how long would it take Pakistan to have master trainers in sufficient number, he said even the United States did not have sufficient number of master trainers. He, however, said efforts were underway to train more and more people and things would keep on improving.

Pointing out that the US government’s assistance in the education sector in Pakistan this year was approximately $68 million, Mr Ward promised a long-term relationship with Islamabad for sustainable reforms in the education sector.

USAID support extends to PTAs in 65 primary schools of Bhara Kahu. Each PTA develops a school improvement plan, crafting a vision for the school and prioritizing school needs.

USAID then gives a grant of approximately $1,500 to implement the plan through the FDE.

PTA projects under the initiative range from provision of additional classrooms, toilets and drinking water facilities to purchase of teaching kits. These projects are part of the $67 million the US is spending on education in Pakistan this year.

The aid in turn is part of the $1.5 billion in development programmes and economic support provided to Pakistan by the US government.

Earlier, Mr Ward visited FG Boys Primary School in Dhoke Jerani, Bhara Kahu, and FG Middle Model School National Health Colony in Chak Shehzad and he met PTA office bearers, students, parents and teachers.