WIREDGOV

Extension of scheme which has helped 1400 children receive an education.

A scholarship scheme which has helped more than 1400 schoolchildren in Pakistan attend school and improve their future is to continue for another year.

International Development Minister Humza Yousaf made the announcement as he attended an award ceremony for the first group of Pakistani children to benefit from the scheme through a video link up between a school in Pakistan and a school in Glasgow.

Children from St Albert’s Primary School in Glasgow, which has strong links with Pakistan, congratulated the children from Government Pilot Secondary in Punjab, Pakistan during the live link up. The link up took place during digital learning week, which highlights how learners and teachers are using digital technologies in schools across Scotland, and shows how technology can be used to support learning in schools.

The Scottish Government gave £110,000 to fund the scholarship scheme operated by the British Council in Pakistan in March 2014, and Mr Yousaf has yesterday announced a further £110,000 to continue the scheme.

Over the past year, the scheme has helped a total of 1448 schoolchildren between five and sixteen years old attend school. The scholarships pay for costs including tuition fees, books, travel and uniform.

Of the children helped, 88% came from families with a monthly income of less than £60, and 53% were girls. Almost 20 per cent were orphans, or dependant on a guardian other than their father or mother.

Congratulating the first generation of students and announcing the extension of the scheme, International Development Minister Humza Yousaf said yesterday:

“Education is a basic human right, and the key to helping our young people get the best out of life and enabling them to make the most of their opportunities to have a bright future. Yet 58 million children around the world are still not able to attend school.

“In Pakistan alone, more than 5 million children, as many as the entire population of Scotland, are not in school today – whether because of poverty, the security situation, or natural disasters.

“This week the First Minister outlined the Government Economic Strategy which will combine work to boost economic growth and increase competitiveness with a drive to tackle inequality. That drive to tackle inequality is as relevant in Pakistan as it is in Scotland.

“That’s why I’m proud to support these scholarships, and to speak to some of the young people who have benefitted from them. These scholarships help young people get the education they need regardless of the amount of money their families have.

“The Scottish Government wants to be a good global citizen, and Scotland and Pakistan have a long shared history with a growing number of links. Many of the children I’ve met today at St Albert’s have family links to Pakistan, as do I, and it’s been great to hear them talking to their counterparts in Pakistan. This week is digital learning week, and this video link up, which lets young people in both countries learn more about each other’s lives, is a great example of how technology is being used to support learning in schools.”

Scholarship recipient Muhammed Waseem said yesterday:

“This scholarship is very important to us. I have a very talented brother who is due to graduate from high school. He would have had to begin working but the money saved on me can now go towards his higher education.”

Rickshaw driver Kuda Bux said the scholarship is helping him to ensure a better future for his son Abdullah.

“I want to give my son the best possible education. I want him to go to college, get a degree and a respectable station in life. I don’t want him to end up driving a rickshaw like I do.”

Clare Harker, Headteacher of St Albert’s, said yesterday:

“I am absolutely delighted to have another link to Pakistan especially when it supports the education of children who would otherwise be deprived. At St Albert’s we cherish our learning and our days at school. Our children have been talking to their parents about their own experiences at school in Pakistan and sharing family stories together. This helps us celebrate the culture and heritage of our community.”

Idrees Mohammed, a Primary 7 pupil at St Albert’s, said: “We are determined to continue to support this scheme, we believe in education and how it supports a better future.”

Notes To Editors

Pictures of Mr Yousaf’s visit to St Albert’s will be available.

You can watch a video on the scholarship scheme, including more case studies, here:https://vimeo.com/114634589

National Digital Learning Week is taking place 2-6 March, to highlight how learners and teachers are using digital technologies in schools across Scotland.