A UK partnership with the governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa helped more than 200,000 children improve their access to schooling, basic reading, numeracy and life skills, according to a British High Commission Islamabad report published on 24 August 2026. It said Urdu reading levels rose from 15% to 78%, English reading from 15% to 45%, and subtraction skills from 37% to 67%.

The programme used learning-level assessments, targeted instruction, teacher coaching and regular progress tracking, the report said. It reached over 500 public schools and enabled more than 35,000 out-of-school children to return to education. It also supported 48,000 learners through remedial education, trained more than 5,500 educators and 250 master trainers, and improved facilities in 400 schools.

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said teachers were central to improving learning outcomes and that feedback on the approaches had been encouraging. PECTAA chief executive Muhammad Musa Ali Bokhari said UK support had moved foundational learning in Punjab from theory to demonstrated practice. Masood Ahmed, Special Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the results showed focused investment in foundational learning could produce meaningful results.