The BISP executed Benazir Taleemi Wazaif initiative providing monetary incentives for underprivileged children’s education has enrolled over 9.4 million beneficiaries since 2013 through incremental geographical expansion across Pakistan.
This year, the programme scope widens further targeting enrollment of 5 million additional kids by onboarding 50 more backward districts identified as educationally marginalized.
Rationale for Expanding Target Districts
Despite massive scaleups between 2018-2020 that extended BTW coverage across 160 districts pan-Pakistan, sizeable proportions of remote locations and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities still remained deprived of state assistance due to:
- Absence of supporting schools infrastructure
- Non-visibility in national census records
- Limited historical focus on girl education
To bridge lingering gaps limiting access, the newest phase commencing April 2023 plans stimulation across 50 priority districts exhibiting:
- High gender gap with female literacy rates below 25%
- Infrastructural constraints with pupil-classroom ratios above 100
- Presence of refugee/migrant groups missed during identification drives
Thereby, customized concentration aims enhancing equitable access to deserving populace at district depths based on ground realities like availability, agency and awareness.
New Districts Onboarded
Spanning all provinces, 50 districts inducted this fiscal year include:
| Province | Districts Added |
|---|---|
| Punjab | Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Bhakkar, Khushab, Layyah |
| Sindh | Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Thatta, Sujawal |
| KPK | Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Shangla, North Waziristan, South Waziristan |
| Balochistan | Jhal Magsi, Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur, Ziarat, Dera Bugti |
| AJK | Kotli, Bhimber, Sudhnuti, Hattian, Neelum |
Enrollment Drive Approach
Drawing strategy learnings from previous expansion modules, BISP adapts a clustered district launch approach across three tailored phases for new regions inducted:
Phase 1 – Supply Capacity Assessment
- Mapping catchment areas to locate beneficiary communities
- Collating infrastructure availability across existing schools
- Identifying locations needing temporary enrollment camps
Phase 2 – Targeted Awareness Generation
- Community influencer meetings to sensitization parents, especially first-time school goers
- Door to door counselling addressing concerns around girls education
- Assisted program registration through hand-holding vulnerable groups
Phase 3 – Sustained Compliance
- Regular school visits by regional officers to track attendance, absenteeism
- Robust follow-ups & diagnostics on dropped cases through case management
- Timely addressing of admissible issues to prevent discontinuation
Projected Enrollment Potential
As per estimates by provincial education departments, the 50 prioritized districts harbour:
- Over 8 million out-of-school children aged between 5-16 years
- Of which 4 million are projected to be eligible and interested for BTW assistance based on past adoption trends among target communities
- With 60% estimated girl child candidates given higher focus
Thereby, customized launches adopting evidence-based cluster strategies aim optimal grassroot penetration this year.
Summing Up
BTW’s newest district induction and strategic enrollment blueprint strives enabling equitable access to education’s transformative power at the last mile. It reiterates the state’s commitment to support continuity of learning amidst vulnerabilities.
And for millions at the economic margins, it renews hopes for beacons of light amidst the darkness…
Nauman is an education policy analyst associated with BISP as senior program consultant for the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif conditional cash transfer initiative. He heads portfolio management for the program including planning, budgeting and performance monitoring. Nauman has over 10 years experience in the social impact space. He completed his MPhil in Economics from Government College University Lahore, focusing his research on financial inclusion for literacy and skills development.