ISLAMABAD: A study conducted by UNICEF Pakistan has revealed that only 30% of parents in the country are actively involved in school activities, with parent-teacher engagement remaining low.
The research identified several barriers contributing to this lack of involvement, including time constraints, low literacy levels, a lack of confidence in supporting their children’s learning, and weak communication between schools and families.
UNICEF Pakistan and its partners have completed the first phase of the ‘Walidain HumQadam’ project, which has connected over six million parents to educational reforms.
The initiative aims to create an inclusive and nurturing educational environment, laying the foundation for a promising future for children across Pakistan.
The project seeks to address systemic obstacles and enhance parental involvement in education. It reached parents through schools, WhatsApp, and Parent-to-Parent (P2P) gatherings, while a digital campaign extended its reach to over six million people.
Interventions such as teacher training, vision board activities, WhatsApp learning programs, and redesigned Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs) via digital media have transformed engagement practices in government schools across six cities of the country.
Launched in response to the concerning statistic that only 30% of parents are engaged with their children’s education, the initiative was introduced in collaboration with Pakistan’s provincial governments.
Using a Social Behaviour Change (SBC) approach, the project focused on all four provinces of the country, where Co-Creation Workshops were held to foster greater parental involvement.
The initiative has actively involved 500 parents and 250 teachers, facilitated 14,000 P2P gatherings, and built a WhatsApp community of 44,000 members. Its content has reached over 6.4 million individuals via various digital media channels.
Key achievements
- Directly engaged 13,988 parents through schools, WhatsApp, and P2P gatherings.
- Reached over 6 million people via a digital campaign.
- Conducted Pakistan’s largest collaborative visioning exercise to align aspirations for children’s futures.
- Fostered sustainable communities of parents and teachers committed to educational success.
- Highlighted how collaboration can strengthen the school-family bond for a brighter future for Pakistan’s children.
The programme revealed a significant increase in digital literacy among teachers, rising from 29% to 63%.
Moreover, 85% of educators reported that integrating digital tools had enhanced their teaching methods by 80%, while 82% observed an overall improvement in the classroom environment.
Over 53% of parents and 54% of teachers participated in the programme. Notably, 92% of teachers indicated that dedicating just 10-15 minutes of quality time with their children greatly improved both educational engagement and the parent-child relationship.
Findings also showed that 43% of parents have become proficient in using digital tools such as WhatsApp, using them daily or several times a week to assist with homework.
Furthermore, 73% of teachers reported a significant increase in participation at PTMs, achieving 100% attendance with the newly implemented PTM framework.
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However, the study uncovered some troubling insights regarding parental engagement in education, revealing that only 30% of parents are actively involved in school activities. Engagement between parents and teachers tends to be limited to mandatory events like PTMs.
The research also identified various barriers to increased participation, including time limitations, low literacy rates, a lack of confidence in supporting their children’s education, and insufficient communication between schools and families.
UNICEF research findings
- Only 30% of parents actively engage in school activities.
- Parent-teacher engagement is low, mostly limited to mandatory events (e.g., PTMs).
- Barriers include time constraints, low literacy, lack of confidence in supporting learning, and weak communication between schools and families.
Elnur Aliyev, Chief of Social Behaviour Change at UNICEF Pakistan, emphasised that SBC represents a strategic, participatory approach aimed at transforming societal norms, attitudes, and behaviours through evidence-based methods. In the education sector, SBC is crucial in confronting deeply ingrained beliefs that hinder progress.
