Progressive Education Network

Quality Education for a

Brighter Future

Progressive Education Network is a

non-profit company that provides
quality education to underprivileged children across Pakistan.

The Education Crisis in

Pakistan

34% of Pakistanis are under 14.

50% of those children are out of school.

46% of primary schools do not have furniture

24% of primary schools do not have textbooks

40% of public schools have do not have a proper toilet

30% of public schools do not have

clean drinking water

50% of primary students drop out before Class 5

Our Approach
PEN adopts failing public schools from district Governments, under a PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) framework, and implements reforms in each
adopted school that yield improved student learning. We also provide vital
missing facilities to create an environment that is conducive to learning.

Focus on Primary Education

Public-Private Partnership Framework

Improvement of Academic Standards

Co-Curricular Activities

Provision of Vital Missing Facilities

We are mainly focused on primary education where development of students reading, writing and arithmetic
skills plays a critical role in their future academic success.

After evaluating several models in the education sector from around the world, PEN Founders decided that it was
much more efficient to adopt underserved public schools over a long period of time; this would allow us to add
and build on their existing infrastructure and have an immediate impact on the student population by
implementing our own reforms and programs.
The highest percentage of our resources goes towards academic improvement and educational initiatives for the
children; which entails teachers training, addition of teachers, enrolment campaigns, co-curricular activities, I.T.
education, etc.

Co-curricular activities are a significant part of our standard intervention in public schools. We organize interschool sports competitions as well as debates, creative writing, Qirat, Naat, quizes and Spellathon.
In terms of infrastructure, our intervention is limited to provision of basic amenities to the students and teachers,
ensuring their access to clean and cold drinking water, properly-lit and ventilated classrooms, suitable
washrooms, and furniture.

Our Work

Locations:

Presently, PEN is providing quality

education to 22,166

students
in 85 public schools across
Pakistan.

Lahore
Gujrat
Sheikhupura
Narowal
Muzaffargarh
Thatta
Karachi

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Academic Reforms
Increase student enrollment through
community outreach
Develop teachers pedagogical skills

Train Head Teachers

Add teachers to reduce class size

Deliver early childhood education
Impart life-skills training
Provide free student notebooks
Free teaching aids
Conduct student assessment
Reward students and teachers
Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Provision of Vital Missing Facilities

Build new classrooms and toilets where
needed
Provide clean and cold drinking water
facility

Provide furniture for students and

teachers
Carry out routine maintenance work, i.e.
paint work, fixtures, electric items, etc.
Hire Ayas (cleaning ladies) for each school
Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Government Primary School, Kot Lakhpat

Before

After

Before

After

Washrooms at Government Girls Elementary School,

Sheranwala gate

Before

After

Open Sewerage: Governemnt Girls Middle Sschool,

Feroze Watwan

Before

After

Organize Co-Curricular Activities

Inter-school Sports

Essay and Creative Writing

Debates, Model UN, etc.

School Tours

Life-skills training

Student festivals

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Computer Education

Build state-of-the-art Computer labs

Develop Computer Curriculum

Provide Computer Science

Instructors

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

PEN Student Represents Pakistan at the UN

Ms Darkhshan Jokhio, PEN student from Government Girls
Secondary School, Ward No.1, District Thatta represented
Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly in New
York. She was elected as a member of Students
Representative Council to represent the girls of Pakistan at
the UN in New York.

speaking skills.

Ms Jokhio has recently completed her matriculation from

PEN adopted-school and is currently doing her Intermediate
from Degree College, Thatta. She belongs to a low-income
family; her father works as a postman. The family moved to
Thatta city from a remote village in Sindh so Ms. Jokhio and
her siblings could get better quality education. Her fathers
decision to move for the sake of his childrens education
inspired other people to follow in his footsteps.
Ms Jokhio spoke on issues of child rights and literacy during
her address at the UN General Assembly as a student
representative of Pakistan. Moreover, she had a series of
discussions on Girls Education which was moderated by
New Zealands princess. The title of Ms. Jokhios speech was,
Girls Education and Early Child Marriages Practices in
Pakistan.
Im extremely grateful to my teachers, mentors and
parents, said Ms. Darkshan Jhokio. My teachers
encouraged me to participate in extra-curricular activities to
complement academics and this is what honed my public

During her visit, Ms. Jokhio had the opportunity to meet

President Obama and Mrs Michelle Obama. She also met
former US President Clinton and many other international
dignitaries.
Ms. Darkhshan wants to become a Navy officer when she
grows up.

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Art Prodigy Wins

Last year, the Government of Punjab invited art students from

all over the province to participate in a logo design competition
for the newly-promulgated Right to Information Act. The
winning logo design would be used to promote the benefits of
the Right to Information Act and how ordinary citizens can use
it to request information from Government departments in the
interest of transparency and accountability.
Members of PENs Academic department went to our adopted
schools and encouraged students to participate in the contest.
Two weeks later, our teams collected the drawings from the
students and submitted them to the Government of Punjab.
A few months later, the Government of Punjab invited the
participants to the Alhamra Art Complex for a small ceremony
to announce the winner of the logo-design contest. We
arranged for our students to attend the ceremony with the
hope that it will be a learning experience for our little art
enthusiasts.
The contest was judged by Ms. Salima Hashmi former
principal of the National College of Arts, Lahore, which is a
premier art institution of Pakistan.
The first prize, predictably, was won by a student of the
National College of Arts, Lahore. But, to everyones surprise,
the runners up prize went to a little girl, Ms. Fiza Nawaz.

We were thrilled to find out that Ms. Fiza Nawaz had beaten
students from the countrys top art school to win the second
prize in the logo design contest.
Ms. Fiza Nawaz was accompanied by her mother at the
ceremony and she couldnt have been more proud of her
daughter.
Ms. Fiza lives near Government Girls Middle School,
Chaudhry Colony, Samnabad in a rented apartment. Her
mother works as a cook in peoples homes and her father
passed away during an armed robbery at a companys
warehouse where he was working as a security guard.
Ms. Fiza plans to enroll in National College of Arts, Lahore
after completing her intermediate education from Kinnaird
College for Women. She wants to become an artist when she
grows up.

Ms. Fiza Nawaz is a student of Class VI at the Government Girls Shes always been good at drawing, said a gleaming Mrs.
Middle School, Chaudhry Colony, Lahore which was adopted Nawaz. It was her fathers wish to see his only daughter get
by PEN in 2010.
the highest education and I work day in and day out to make
that dream come true.

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

The Next Bapsi Sidhwa?

Every year, Little Art organizes a creative writing contest in
English language among students of private schools in
Lahore. In 2014, PEN partnered with the Little Art to include
public school students in the annual creative writing contest.
Over 2,000 participants from public and private schools all
over Lahore were required to write an essay titled, My ideal
personality.
Ms. Komal Latif, Class VIII of Government Girls Middle
School, Kot Lakhpat, chose a farmer from her neighborhood
as her ideal personality. Shes inspired by his hard work,
honesty, and a positive attitude in the face of adversity. He
has to contend with steep leasing rates for farming land, and
climate change which brings with it droughts and
unseasonable rains. Given the lack of resources, the farmer
has to work hard under the glaring sun without machines.
She wrote that a farmers work yields wheat staple of every
Pakistanis diet.
Ms. Komals essay won first prize among 2,000 participants.
Shed only started to learn English a couple of years ago when
the Government changed the curriculum to English-medium.
Her competitors private-school students learn English from
Class KG.
Komal is a voracious reader, said Ms. Riffat English
teacher at Government Girls Middle School, Kot Lakhpat. She
asks me to bring her books in English language which I get for
her from the Childrens complex.

Ms. Komals family has to make do with very limited

financial resources. When her father passed away in 2009,
Komal had to drop out of school and work in peoples
homes to make ends meet as her mother couldnt afford
house rent, utilities, etc. much less her education.
When PENs academic team came to know they began to
visit Komals home and persuade her mother otherwise.
After weeks of persuasion, Komals mother decided to let
her finish her education on the condition that shell work
in the evenings.
In order to support her three siblings, Ms. Komal does
laundry work for people in her neighborhood after
returning home from school. However, she remains
determined to finish her education and enroll in University
of Education, Lahore to become a teacher.

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Against All Odds

Mr. Sajid Ali epitomizes perseverance.

The youngest of seven brothers, Sajid is the only one among

them to have completed primary education. His father is a drug
addict who makes a living by herding goats for other people in
his village. His mother is a housewife and visually-impaired.
Sajids brothers have abandoned the family, two of them were
last heard from when they were imprisoned for drug-related
offenses.

PENs academic team members visited Sajids mother to

convince her to let him continue his education. Sajids mother
wanted her son to go to school but felt that hed more useful to
the family by earning daily wages.

I know his family and all I can say is that you havent seen
extreme poverty until youve met them, said Mr. Shehzad, Head Sajids father was adamant that he should not go to school.
Teacher of the Government Boys Middle School, Sadhoki. Hed What the use? asked Mr. Ali Akbar, Sajids father. Its not as if
often come to school without any shoes and the teachers would our son will ever become a Government officer. This way at least
all pitch in to buy him shoes.
he brings home a couple of hundred rupees daily.
PENs academic team didnt give up there. They kept visiting
The teachers really liked him because he often scored the
Sajids home.
highest position in class. Mr. Shehzad recalls that quite a few
times Sajid Ali would fall unconscious during morning assembly After several visits, they managed to convince Sajids parents to
because he hadnt had anything to eat for a couple of days.
send him to school in return for an offer to sponsor his
education. PEN offered to finance his college education as well.
When Sajid Ali started in Class VI, he became irregular and
would stay absent for weeks on end. After a long summer break, Sajid Ali returned to school and rarely took days off.
Sajid Ali stopped coming to school altogether. Mr. Shehzad saw Last year, Sajid Ali won the top prize in PENs inter-school essay
him herding goats with his father one day and struck his name writing competition in Urdu.
off the student register.
This year, Sajid Ali scored 91% marks in Class VIII exams and
When PEN adopted Government Boys Middle School, Sadhoki, scored the highest marks in Urdu language across District
Mr. Shehzad mentioned Sajid Alis case to PENs academic team. Lahore in PEC exams.
He was particularly saddened that Sajid had dropped out
because he saw so much potential in the young boy.
He wants to become a police officer after completing his
education.

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Corporate Profile
Registered with Securities and Exchange
Commission of Pakistan under the Companies
Ordinance 1984.
Companies registered under the above-mentioned ordinance have to comply with strict
regulations of governance, audit and reporting under SECPs supervision.

PEN is certified by the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy and under ISO 9001
for compliance with best practices in internal governance, financial
management and program delivery.
Auditor:

Certifications:

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Our Core Values

We believe that the success of PENs initiatives is founded upon commitment

to our core values:
1. Social Responsibility
Basic education is a fundamental right of every child. Since the public
sector is failing in it, intervention by private sector is a social
responsibility of all in order to develop a modern forward looking
nation.
2. Corporate Governance
The company shall be operated with the highest levels of corporate
governance.
3. High Impact
The interventions must be high impact and reach the masses through
public school system. While maintaining a minimum acceptable
standard of physical facilities, the focus is what goes on in the classroom.
4. Radical Transparency
All information available to all stakeholders.
Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Our Goal
Provide quality education to

1,000,000
children by 2025

Quality Education for a Brighter Future

Our Founders
Mr. Adnan Asdar Ali

Founder & CEO AAA Associates

& Multinet Pvt. Ltd.
B.S. & M.S.-University of Wisconsin,
Madison

Mr. Agha Shahid

Majeed Khan

Collector Customs
Master of Commerce -University of
Strathclyde (Glasgow)

Mr. Ahsan Imran

Shaikh

Chief Executive Millat

Equipment Pvt. Ltd.
M.B.A. -USA, Master of
Administrative Sciences - PU, Lhr.

Mr. Nadeem Babar

Founder & CEO Orient Power

Pvt. Ltd.
B.A. & B.S. Columbia University
M.S. Stanford University

Dr. Arif Nazir Butt

Dean of Business School at LUMS

PhD in Management - McGill
University, MBA from LUMS
MS Engineering Georgia Institute
of Technology

Dr. Shujaat Nadeem

Chairman SAMBA Bank Pakistan

B.Sc., M.Sc. & Ph.D. Massachusetts
Institute of Technology

Mr. Omar Khayyam

Sheikh

Founder & CEO - Hadayatsons

B.A. Columbia University
E.M.B.A. - LUMS

Contact Us
Head Office:
57 Tipu Block, New Garden Town,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Tel: + 92 42 3584 2554
Email: info@pen.org.pk
Web: http://pen.org.pk
Facebook.com/penpk
Twitter.com/penpk
Instagram.com/penpk2005

Quality Education for a Brighter Future