ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on Tuesday decided to conduct household surveys in all the union councils of Islamabad to ensure every out-of-school child is identified and provided access to formal or non-formal education opportunities.

The ministry also formally launched the “No child left behind” campaign under a union council-wise carpet coverage model aimed at ensuring universal access to education.

The ceremony was held at IMCB Jaba Tali. Education Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui attended the ceremony as chief guest. The event was attended by senior officials of the ministry, representatives of partner organisations and development partners, including JICA, and community stakeholders.

Schoolbags were also distributed among learners enrolled in non-formal education centres.

Campaign launched under union council-wise carpet coverage model

Speaking on the occasion, the minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the constitutional right to education under Article 25-A, adding education is a fundamental right of every child. He said the union council-wise carpet coverage model will ensure that no household was left unvisited and no child remained deprived of education.

Secretary Education Nadeem Mabub said the campaign seeks to identify, enroll and retain OOSC across the capital territory through a coordinated and collaborative approach.

He said under the initiative, comprehensive household surveys will be conducted to ensure that every out-of-school child is identified and provided access to formal or non-formal education opportunities.

“The process includes door-to-door outreach, real-time data entry and structured monitoring mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability,” he said.

According to the ministry of education, the campaign is being implemented in collaboration with the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Basic Education Community Schools (BECS), Junior Jinnah Trust (JJT) and other partners.

The ministry has called upon parents, community leaders and civil society to actively support the initiative.

It is relevant to note here that in Islamabad as per the 2023 record, there were 89,000 OOSC. Some officials believe the real number could be far higher.

Overall, Pakistan has an alarming number of 26.2 OOSC. Officials believe that many children are forced to drop out of school to support their families economically.

They said by linking education with skills children can be brought back to classrooms as parents will see both education and long-term livelihood opportunities for their children.

In Islamabad, OOSC can be seen in various markets while doing car washing and selling flowers and eatable items at different places. Underage girls also do cleanliness work in houses. “Some sort of incentive should be given to their families for making this campaign a success,” said a schoolteacher.

He praised education ministry for focusing on accelerated learning programme, stating that there should be flexible timing for OOSC to ensure continuity of their education besides a tracking system for the enrolled students.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2026