Benazir Income Supports Programme (BISP) has enrolled 1.3 million under privileged children in primary schools and targets to enroll 1.6 million by June 2017. This was stated by Minister of State and Chairperson BISP MNA Marvi Memon while launching Waseela-e-Taleem (WeT) school enrolment drive nation-wide starting from Rawalpindi on Sunday.
This is the second phase of enrolment drive and BISP aims to cement the success of WeT during this phase. Launched in October 2012 in five districts, WeT is currently operational in 32 districts and would be extended to 50 districts by the end of June 2018.
During the launch, the chairperson BISP examined all of three stages involved in the registration camp. First of all, screening of eligible children of beneficiaries is carried out.
After that, awareness session on the importance of education and attendance compliance for getting benefit from BISP is conducted. Lastly, enrolment process of children is completed.
The Chairperson BISP said on the occasion that such registration camps will be set up in all 32 WeT districts across Pakistan and this phase will continue till all of 5 to 12 years beneficiary children are enrolled in primary schools. She instructed WeT team to complete the enrolment process in all the districts efficiently within minimum time.
The Chairperson added that WeT initiative is part of long term graduation strategy of BISP that aims to develop human capital so that its beneficiaries may exit out of poverty in future.
The Chairperson BISP, during the visit, interacted with the children and teachers and inspected the facilities in the school. She said that BISP has registered positive and significant impact on primary school enrolment. According to the BISP, third impact evaluation report, school attendance deprivation has been reduced from 56% in 2013 to 49% in 2016 due to BISP. WeT resulted in increase in enrolment of children between ages of 5-12 by 10% points that is higher than the international average.
Under WeT initiative, BISP enrols 5-12 years old children of its beneficiary families into primary schools. The beneficiary families receive Rs 750/- per quarter per child with the condition of 70% attendance compliance other than unconditional cash transfer (UCT) of Rs 4834/- per quarter.
Under this initiative, the BISP has carried out supply capacity assessment of 55,000 public and private schools and constituted 50,000 BISP Beneficiary Committees (BBCs) with the objective to create social mobilisation amongst poorest of the poor.