Daily Times

While transitioning from the exam-centred to learning based approach, the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training’s (MoFEPT) STEAM Pakistan program is focused on improving conceptual understanding and analytical skills of school children across the country, with a specific focus on girls’ education. Launched in early 2022, the program has already started its interventions in middle and high schools in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

As part of the program, MoFEPT signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) today with the Federal Government Educational Institutions (FGEI) for a roll-out of STEAM interventions across all of its high schools.

FGEI’s Director General, Major General Muhammad Asghar, HI (M), stated that “STEAM Pakistan project will complement the various measures taken by FGEI to attain the objective of quality education and promote the conceptual learning and development of soft skills in youth”. The LoU intends to support FGEI’s efforts on targeting students in middle schools across its network, with MoFEPT providing technical support for systems, teacher training, and STEAM content.

Additional Secretary Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry at the signing ceremony remarked, “It is important that we focus on our children’s learning, and today is a great opportunity for the Ministry of Federal Education to collaborate with another Ministry for this purpose. The Ministry looks forward to providing similar technical support to provinces on STEAM”. FGEI currently manages 190 high schools in 45 districts across all provinces and AJ&K, and a total of 311 schools (including 13 higher secondary schools) and 47 colleges across Pakistan with over 8,000 teachers and 200,000 students. FGEI operates under the aegis of Ministry of Defence.

STEAM Pakistan is a collaborative project through which Malala Fund and partners are providing support to the Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training to advance secondary school-aged girls’ access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics education in Pakistan.