Eight Actions to Enhance Foundational Learning in Islamabad Capital Territory
Children across Islamabad are struggling to acquire basic reading and numeracy skills. In the 2023 National Achievement Test (NAT), students in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) ranked second lowest in Grade 4 English, answering only 42.7% of the questions correctly. Similarly, they recorded the lowest score in Grade 4 Mathematics, with just 38.5% of questions answered correctly (Pakistan Institute of Education, 2023).
Our recent report "Eight Actions to Enhance Foundational Learning in ICT," offers empirical evidence on the impact of ongoing foundational learning initiatives by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT) and FDE, aimed at improving foundational learning skills in primary public schools within ICT. This blog will highlight the key findings of the report (which you can read here).
Children reading in an FDE primary school in Islamabad.
Why was this study conducted?
The Pakistan Foundational Learning Hub is set up to support education policy with evidence. A key recent policy - the Federal Foundational Learning Policy - requires all schools to set up an hour of reading in every school day alongside numeracy remediation. This builds on the Reading Hour project that has run in FDE schools since 2023. The report evaluates the Reading Hour and daily Numeracy instruction. The findings provide valuable insights to both MoFEPT and the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), identifying what is working well and what needs further improvement.
What methodology was used?
This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative research. Surveys were administered to 112 FDE public school teachers who teach Urdu, English, and Mathematics at the primary level as well as 44 programme leaders. Additionally, focus group discussions were held with 69 teachers and programme leaders.
What were the key findings?
The report presents a range of findings, including:
Teacher Training for FLN needs to be improved. Approximately 41.6% of English and Urdu teachers and 64% of mathematics teachers reported not receiving specialised training for implementing the Reading Hour or numeracy. Similarly, a majority of the programme leaders (42.3% of language experts and 82% of coordinators) tasked to provide ongoing mentoring support to teachers reported feeling unprepared for their roles and responsibilities.
Monitoring and evaluation systems and assessments need more attention. The research showed weak monitoring and evaluation systems as well as infrequent assessments of student progress.
More high quality materials are needed. Nearly 44.7% of FDE teachers reported lacking access to key teaching materials such as lesson plans and teacher guides, while 87% of teachers surveyed rely primarily on prescribed textbooks during the Reading Hour.
Reading Hour needs to be held more consistently on a daily basis. Nearly 70% of FDE teachers surveyed reported conducting the Reading Hour daily, 25% held it once or twice a week, 1% held it once a month, and 4% did not conduct it at all.
Teachers work in challenging contexts. Teachers face several challenges including high student-to-teacher ratios, weak infrastructure, low parental engagement, and heavy workload resulting from the demands of multiple overlapping programmes.
Large class sizes limit teachers’ efficacy. Survey data shows that nearly 33% of teacher participants report managing classrooms with 51 or more students. These issues are especially pronounced in rural areas, where resource constraints are most severe.
The Eight Actions - what actions can policymakers take?
To enhance the effectiveness of foundational learning initiatives, particularly the Reading Hour and numeracy instruction, this report proposes eight key actions to improve foundational learning outcomes.
Reduce the Number of Subjects and Interventions in Grades 1 -3. This will enable teachers and students to prioritise the essential building blocks of learning - foundational literacy and numeracy-in the early years.
Offer Specialised, Subject- specific Teacher Training. FLN focused training should encompass the five key elements of reading (phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) along with fundamental numerical concepts (numbers and operations).
Ensure Continuous Professional Development. Teacher training should be conducted at least once every three months, supplemented by biweekly virtual refreshers and ongoing mentoring.
Provide Supplementary Reading and Mathematics Resources. Teachers should be provided with FLN-specific teaching and learning materials, which are a part of a structured scheme of studies for the Reading Hour and mathematics.
Implement a Strong Assessment System. A well-structured and consistent assessment system should be implemented to regularly track student progress, identify learning gaps, and inform instructional adjustments.
Prioritise Support for the Most Underserved Rural Schools. The Federal Directorate of Education should adopt both short-term strategies, such as involving high-performing students as mentors for their struggling peers, leveraging low-tech solutions, and engaging community members for support, along with long-term approaches such as reducing the student-to-teacher ratio, particularly in rural areas.
Strengthen Follow-up Support and Foster Collaboration. The technical expertise of the support mechanism, including coordinators, co-coordinators, and language experts, should be enhanced through targeted capacity-building initiatives. Additionally, they should receive travel allowances to facilitate regular school visits, ensuring follow-ups, effective implementation and continuous support for teachers.
Enhance Teachers’ Accountability in Delivering the Reading Hour and Numeracy Instruction. A strong accountability mechanism should be in place for teachers so that educators feel ownership and a sense of responsibility.
The report was launched by the Federal Secretary of Education, Mohyuddin Wani, on 26th January 2025 at Islamabad Model School for Girls (I-X)
Secretary of Federal Education, Mohyuddin Wani at the report launch, January 2025
The report team. L to R: Zainab Bashir, Hamza Razaq, Saleha Rashid, Muhammad Ali, Dr Zainab Salim, Manahil Naeem, January 2025
Senior Joint Secretary, I-C, MoFEPT Sohail Akhtar with the report