More than 4,000 out of school children in Islamabad have been enrolled in private schools free of charge under corporate social responsibility as part of the No Child Left Behind campaign, officials said.
The progress was reviewed at a meeting chaired by Chairman PEIRA Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah at PEIRA Headquarters, where DG-NCHD Mr. Ali Asghar and JICA representative Mr. Bilal Aziz joined senior PEIRA officials and partner organisations to assess enrolment efforts and next steps.
A household survey covering nearly 80,000 households in rural Union Councils of Islamabad identified more than 24,000 children aged 5–16 who were out of school. Those children have been referred to the Federal Directorate of Education and PEIRA for placement in the nearest accessible schools.
PEIRA has engaged over 100 private schools that have enrolled more than 4,000 children without charging fees. Chairman Mallah praised the private sector for treating the initiative as a national mission rather than a mere regulatory obligation, noting that school owners and managements showed strong commitment to educational equity and social responsibility.
Officials highlighted the Federal Secretary of Education’s leadership in coordinating stakeholders and driving accelerated enrolment drives. PEIRA was directed to facilitate admissions, monitor retention and support schools so that newly enrolled children remain in the education system.
The meeting confirmed that enrolled children will receive free textbooks, stationery and other learning materials to support continued learning, while transparency and monitoring will be maintained through the National Formal and Non-Formal Education Management Information System (NFEMIS) managed by PIE with technical support from JICA.
Campaign partners including NCHD, BECS, NEF, FDE, PIE, JICA and several INGOs were recognised for complementing government efforts. The group reaffirmed a collective commitment to reach the target of enrolling 25,000 out of school children in Islamabad by the end of June 2026.
