CEO Jonathan Freeman says the move is aimed at empowering students with disabilities. The UK-based organization launched the Pakistan Special Education Initiative (PSEI) to support children with disabilities to access quality mainstream education and achieve important life milestones.
Originating from the UK’s Education, Health and Care Plan, PSEI aims to develop a screening system, provide resources for teachers to better support students with special needs, introduce quality and training standards for school staff and design adapted special educational needs and disability curricula (SEND).
Founded and funded by the CareTech Foundation, PSEI is addressing a significant challenge in Pakistan, where an estimated 1 in 4 people experience mental health or disability-related issues. With 60% of Pakistanis under the age of 35, there is a growing need for mental health and SEND support in schools.
Currently, many schools lack the expertise to properly support students with disabilities, leading to limited enrollment and insufficient support. In partnership with CareTech Holdings Ltd., a leading social care provider in the UK and the Middle East, PSEI initially engaged five Pakistani schools in collaboration with five schools in the UK, facilitating knowledge exchange and access to training resources.
PSEI will introduce screening tools to identify children with SEND, offer tailored education pathways and training for assessors. With an advisory board of local disability leaders and dedicated program management, PSEI is poised to make a significant impact. With additional help from the COSARAF Foundation and five local schools, the Initiative aims to empower a generation of young Pakistanis through SEND confident and SEND capable teachers.
CEO Jonathan Freeman, MBE, highlights the transformative potential of the initiative and calls for local support to ensure its success. With an initial focus on five schools, PSEI plans to scale up its efforts each year, engaging specialized partners and engaging the Federal Government of Pakistan to adopt its educational framework.
