A child’s right to read

In Pakistan, the International Rescue Committee and our partners are working to improve the quality of reading education in 38,000 schools over the next five years. The Pakistan Reading Project will reach millions of primary school children, with a focus on rural communities where access to elementary education is limited. These photos show the reading project underway at a school in the Mughal Market area of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

The International Rescue Committee has worked in Pakistan since 1980, providing emergency relief, health care, education, job training and other essential services in communities affected by conflict and natural disaster. Education plays a fundamental role in giving uprooted children the foundation they need to build a strong future for themselves and their communities.

The Pakistan Reading Project aims to get 2.5 million children reading at grade level for the first time. Primary age children from Islamabad Model School in Mughal Market enjoy their Urdu read-aloud session in school. Photo:

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Students in the class practice their reading during a guided group session.

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Teachers provide the building blocks for high-quality education. The Pakistan Reading Project aims to advance and develop the reading instruction skills of 94,000 teachers. Here, students discuss the day’s lesson with their teacher in a group session.

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A student shows her class assignment during an interactive group session.

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