Pakistan International Peace & Human Rights Organization
Nindo Shaher District Badin Sindh Pakistan

Pakistan has experienced extensive debate and discussion on the subject of promoting education as a means of national integration and economic progress. But, talkers not being doers, much less has been done in real terms. Government education authorities have failed dismally with the possible exception of the capital-intensive higher education sector. Adverse international geopolitics and internal socioeconomic conflicts have led to poor policy making which in turn has ensured abysmally low expenditures in fields of education, health and social welfare. The little that has been planned has not been implemented due to endemic inefficiency and widespread corruption. Statistics bear out a grim picture of the Pakistani school education scene: Only 37% of Pakistani pupils complete primary school (grade 5) compared to 62% in neighbouring India and 92% in Sri Lanka. The 'National Performance Gap' (difference between a country's achievement and the average achievement for countries at the same level of economic development) which measures the difference between actual and expected percentages of children reading grade 5 stands at (-) 18 for Pakistan, + 1 6 for India and +30 for Sri Lanka. Subjective details present an even more gloomy picture. As a result, the Pakistani rural heartland is still gripped by exploitative political and economic forces which resist social change. In effect, Pakistan remains an illiterate and repressed society with little vision for the future. Unfortunately, the post-independence period has seen an erosion of social institutions and moral values which, at the time of the country's emergence, seemed poised to push the new nation towards an era of new glory. Most sociologists hold deterioration of educational standards and institutions responsible for this national decline. Howsoever bleak the picture may be, brave attempts have been made to check the downward slide. The national private sector has been active in developing quality schools, somewhat making up for the government's failure and preventing total disaster. While early efforts in this field were genuine and generally undertaken by either missionaries or other philanthropic organizations, of late education has been grossly commercialized. As a result, quality education has become virtually synonymous with expensive, high-profile schools operating on the profit-motive. Supply-demand factors have led to a mushroom growth of such "pay and stay" schools. Mostly located in the urban areas, these have become status symbols catering to the upwardly-mobile social and commercial classes who are able to afford them, often through the dubious means of income that characterize our rich. Few believe that quality education can be provided to the common people of lower and middle classes especially in the rural and backward areas. With the Grace of Allah, we at Taaleem Foundation are working towards making our nation strong through establishment and operation of high quality educational and human resource development centres- schools, colleges, libraries, professional and skill training institutions. While every area of the country can benefit from such activities, the underprivileged areas specially deserve them. And so, Taaleem Foundation began in 1989 from Balochistan, and presently continues to concentrate its efforts in the least developed province of Pakistan, where it is operating primary and secondary schools at Kila Saifullah, Kohlu, Loralai, Mastung, Muslimbagh, Pishin, Sui and Zhob. At its head office in Quetta, the Foundation is also operating a centre for adult education offering language instruction, courses in arts and designing, vocational education, management training and specialized career guidance courses.

To achieve this and other noble goals in the field of educational development and social progress at large, we look forward to the support and encouragement from 'Friends of the Taaleem Foundation' near and afar Allah-willing we intend to do everything and anything in our power to educate Pakistanis, specially those in disadvantaged communities, in order to make them better citizens. It is our belief that, "Education is a Divinely ordained endeavour, a mission of the prophets."

PIPHRO - An Introduction

Pakistan International Peace & human Rightsn Organization is an independent, nonprofit NGO established with a view to promote education and socioeconomic development in the under-privileged areas of Pakistan. Originally set up in 1 989 as the Pakistan Academy for the Promotion of Education and Research (PAPER), its founders included civil service officers, educationists, prominent persons in public affairs and concerned citizens. One of the main aims of the Foundation is to provide quality education in small rural towns of Balochistan, Pakistan's least developed province. By 1 996, eight primary and secondary schools as well as an adult learning centre in Quetta were operating under the Foundation. From this humble beginning the Foundation plans to spread its activities to other underprivileged areas of the country, Insha Allah. The Foundation is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1861 registration with the Federal Government as a voluntary charitable corporate body is anticipated. Formally headed by a President, Taaleem Foundation's policy making and administration is undertaken by a Board of Governors. Five subsidiary wings namely Academic, Finance, Management, Planning & Development and the Research Councils report to the Board of Governors.

PPIPHRO aims at: