United States and Pakistan Launch the Pakistan Reading Project
United States and Pakistan Launch the Pakistan Reading Project
Islamabad, February 13, 2014
Islamabad, February 13, 2014 – The United States and Pakistan launched the Pakistan Reading
Project today, marking the beginning of a five year, $160 million investment in reading
education in Pakistan. Funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID), the project will improve the reading skills of 3.2 million children across Pakistan,
build the capacity of 94,000 primary school teachers, and provide over 6,000 scholarships to
train aspiring teachers.
U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Richard G. Olson, U.S. Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s
Issues Catherine Russell, and State Minister for Education, Training, and Standards in Higher
Education Baligh-ur-Rehman addressed teachers and parents at the Islamabad Model Secondary
School for Girls, Chak Shahzad and then met with schoolchildren.
Ambassador Olson said, “The Pakistan Reading Project is an opportunity to improve the reading
skills of millions of Pakistani children. …We hope this project will reinforce a national culture
of reading - in classrooms, communities, and homes.” U.S. Ambassador at Large for Global
Women’s Issues Catherine M. Russell said, “The United States has invested in girls’ education
because we know it is one of the most effective development investments for a girl’s future
employment.”
The Pakistan Reading Project will reach students in 67 districts and will help ensure high quality
literacy instruction at the primary school level. The project will also provide teacher training
opportunities by expanding the number of colleges and universities offering specialized
bachelors and associate degrees in education that focus on reading.
The Pakistan Reading Project is one part of a comprehensive education program that the United
States implements in Pakistan in partnership with the government of Pakistan. This program
includes building or rehabilitating more than 850 schools; establishing centers for advanced
education studies at three Pakistani universities; expanding English skills for more than 5,000
low-income students; and awarding more than 4,800 scholarships for university students to
pursue education through the Pakistan-USAID Merit and Needs Based scholarship Program. For
more information on the United States' assistance for education in Pakistan, visit:
http://photos.state.gov/libraries/pakistan/323264/factsheets/201307_education.pdf
The United States and Pakistan launched the Pakistan ReadingProject today, marking the beginning of a five year, $160 million investment in reading education in Pakistan. Funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the project will improve the reading skills of 3.2 million children across Pakistan, build the capacity of 94,000 primary school teachers, and provide over 6,000 scholarships totrain aspiring teachers.
U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Richard G. Olson, U.S. Ambassador at Large for Global Women’sIssues Catherine Russell, and State Minister for Education, Training, and Standards in Higher Education Baligh-ur-Rehman addressed teachers and parents at the Islamabad Model Secondary School for Girls, Chak Shahzad and then met with schoolchildren.
Ambassador Olson said, “The Pakistan Reading Project is an opportunity to improve the readingskills of millions of Pakistani children. …We hope this project will reinforce a national cultureof reading - in classrooms, communities, and homes.” U.S. Ambassador at Large for GlobalWomen’s Issues Catherine M. Russell said, “The United States has invested in girls’ education because we know it is one of the most effective development investments for a girl’s future employment.”
The Pakistan Reading Project will reach students in 67 districts and will help ensure high quality literacy instruction at the primary school level. The project will also provide teacher training opportunities by expanding the number of colleges and universities offering specialized bachelors and associate degrees in education that focus on reading.
The Pakistan Reading Project is one part of a comprehensive education program that the United States implements in Pakistan in partnership with the government of Pakistan. This program includes building or rehabilitating more than 850 schools; establishing centers for advanced education studies at three Pakistani universities; expanding English skills for more than 5,000 low-income students; and awarding more than 4,800 scholarships for university students to pursue education through the Pakistan-USAID Merit and Needs Based scholarship Program. For more information on the United States' assistance for education in Pakistan, visit:
http://photos.state.gov/libraries/pakistan/323264/factsheets/201307_education.pdf
http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/pr-02132014.html