ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on Thursday held a signing ceremony for a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with eight civil society organisations to support out-of-school children (OOSC).

The ceremony formalised collaboration under the “No Child Left Behind” campaign, aimed at ensuring universal access to education across the Islamabad Capital Territory through a coordinated union council-wise approach, according to a press release issued by the education ministry.

Federal Secretary Education Nadeem Mehbub, speaking on the occasion, emphasised that the partnerships would significantly strengthen efforts to identify, enroll, and retain out-of-school children. He stressed the importance of achieving the target of completing comprehensive household surveys and enrolling out-of-school children within the next three months.

He further highlighted that the initiative includes community outreach and real-time data systems to ensure transparency and effective implementation.

Representatives from civil society organisations (CSOs) reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Federal Ministry of Education in achieving the target of identifying and enrolling 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad under the initiative. They pledged to mobilise their networks, invest necessary resources, and actively participate in field operations to ensure no child is left behind. Emphasising the collective responsibility of all stakeholders, they expressed optimism that more organisations would come forward in the coming days to join the effort and contribute to securing a brighter future for every child.

According to the education ministry, the “No Child Left Behind” campaign adopts a structured, data-driven, and community-centered ‘Carpet Coverage Plan’ at the Union Council level.

“The approach includes door-to-door household surveys to identify out-of-school children, engagement with local stakeholders and community leaders for mobilisation and coordination at the union council level to ensure targeted interventions,” the press release said.

It added that representatives from key partner organisations, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) and partner CSOs were present at the ceremony.

The press release stated that the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that every child has access to quality education, in line with the constitutional mandate under Article 25-A. “The LoU marks a significant step towards strengthening collaboration for inclusive and equitable education in Pakistan,” it said.

Earlier, the Ministry of Education on Sunday set a target of enrolling 25,000 out-of-school children (OOSC) in Islamabad within the next three months as part of its three-year rolling plan.

“Ministry of Education has set a target to enroll 25,000 out-of-school children (OOSC) in Islamabad Capital Territory within the next three months as part of a three-year rolling plan to enroll all out-of-school children,” said a statement issued by the education ministry on Sunday.

It added that to facilitate this intervention, the government also plans to establish new community schools in close proximity to hotspots where there is a sizeable number of out-of-school children.

It said that both formal and non-formal education departments are executing a ‘Carpet Coverage Plan’ at the Union Council level. Under this strategy, teams are conducting door-to-door surveys to identify out-of-school children and ensure their immediate enrollment.

Officials believe that many children are forced to drop out of school to support their families economically.

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

In Islamabad, out-of-school children can be seen in various markets washing cars and selling flowers and edible items at different locations. Underage girls also work in households doing cleaning jobs.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026