Beyond Texts and Test for Promoting a Culture of Multiple Narratives and Critical Thinking
Baela Raza JamilAmina Naveed Khawaja
Maryam SabaMaham Ali
Participation at CIES Supported by: Open Society Foundation (OSF)
Comparative and International Education Society (CIES)10th to 16th March 2014
Founders and Partners of CLF
Outline• Introduction of the Children’s Literature Festival (Pakistan)• Introduction of the Paper• Background • Research Design and Methodology • Results and Analysis• School Based CLFs- Case Study• Conclusion
Children’s Literature Festival (Pakistan)• A social movement and a response to low levels of learning (ASER 2013) that seeks to promote the love of reading, creativity and
critical thinking in children •11 CLFs since November 2011
• Attended by over 150,000 participants• 60 Book launches at CLFs
• Website: www.childrensliteraturefestival.com
Children’s Literature Festivals till Date
Mega CLFs
District Level CLF
School Based CLFs
• 5 National CLFs- Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad
• 2 Provincial CLFs- Peshawar, Quetta
• Bahawalpur 2013
• Kanju and Kabal - Swat 2013• Lahore 2014
Key Outcomes
• Impact Analysis Conducted• Research strand added- 2013 onwards• CLF beyond borders- Replicated by a school system in India & Nepal• 3 School Based CLFs• The First Teachers’ Literature Festival held in February 2014• More Schools interested in school-based CLFs
Introduction
A shift from a narrative focused on access to one which accounts for access plus quality and learning is vital
Reading for imagination and creativity inspire
children
The school experience for a majority of
children in Pakistan and elsewhere
globally is devoid of such methods of
learning, trapped in the culture of
‘textbooks and tests’
Children’s Literature
Festival (CLF) Pakistan is a
response precisely to such
blocks and divisions across school systems
Background
Reading
Reading Habit declining in
Pakistan
School libraries are either non-
existent or poorly equipped
NEP (1998), NEP (2009) -
Education System
Poor Teaching Practices: Rote learning & not activity based
Minimal Teacher-Student
Interaction. Poor Curriculum
Assessments encourage rote
learning too
Research Design & Methodology
Qualitative Impact StudyAcross 3
Variables: Reading,
Writing, and Creative Arts.
Data collection:
Questionnaire and Case
Study.
76 Schools: 61 CLF Lahore, 10 CLF Islamabad,
5 CLF Swat
Comparison across School Categories &
Across Teacher Qualifications
• School based CLFs: 1 school in Urban Lahore and 5 schools in Swat
• 3 questionnaires: school administration, teachers, students
Research Design &
Methodology
• Response bias on the part of school administration
• Teachers’ influence on students’ answers
Challenges Faced
14 Concurrent Strands of CLF - Catering for Large Numbers
Read & Sing Aloud Stories and Songs
Theatre and Skits
Workshops on How to Illustrate a Book, Creative Writing & Expression
Digital Stories – ICTs; Workshops on Comics Production
Plenary Sessions on: Mother Tongue, Critical Thinking, Textbooks & Curriculum, Inclusion
Reclaiming Heritage & Diversity – Museums & WorkshopsActive Citizenship – Charter of Compassion
Children’s Films Puppet shows and cartoons
Multi-experience Stalls
Bol Key Lab Azaad Hain Terey – speak for your lips are freeOpen Expression for Children in Prose & Poetry –any language (age groups 5-11 & 6-17)
Mural & Art Sessions
Book Launches
Book Fair & Learning Stalls of NGOs/Local Partners 11
Analysis
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
17%
10%
73%
School TypeAll Girls All Boys Co-Ed
Perc
enta
ge
47%
31%
21%
School CategoryPrivate Low-Cost PrivatePublic
Main Findings
Significant impact across All categories
58% of the schools
implemented CLF activities
80% of students’ interest in reading,
writing and arts increased
58% of the teachers
replicated CLF activities
Reading Creative Writing
Creative Arts
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
79% 79% 82%
21% 21% 18%
Improvement in Students According to Management
Yes No
Perc
enta
ge
Reading
Creative Writing
Creative Arts
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
69%
51%
69%
31%
49%
31%
Teachers Promoted Activities at School
No Yes
Reading Creativity0%
10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
94% 89%
6% 11%
Percentage Improvement Accord-ing to Students
Yes No
New Activities Started Pedagogical Change CLF Promoted Reading
48% 54% 92%
69% 57% 93%
64% 65% 100%
Comparative Analysis Based on School CategoriesPrivate Low-Cost Private Public
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
81% 78% 80%
19% 22% 20%
Percentage Private Schools with an Improvement in
Students Yes No
Reading Creative Writing Creative Arts
New Activities
New Ideas
Replicated
0%10%
20%30%
40%50%
60%70%
80%90%
100%
67%
77%
56%
33%
23%
44%
Impact on Private School Teachers
Yes No
Promoted Reading Promoted
CW Promoted Creative Arts
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
63%44% 63%
37%56%
37%
Private School Yes No
ReadingCreative Writing Creative
Arts
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
75%
50%81%
25%
50%19%
Low-Cost Private SchoolYes No
ReadingCreative Writing Creative
Arts
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
71%63% 65%
29%38% 35%
Public School
Yes No
Measures Taken by Teachers
Reading
Creativity
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
96%
84%
4%
16%
PrivateNo Yes
Reading
Creativity
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
93%
93%
7%
7%
Low-Cost PrivateNo Yes
Reading
Creativity
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%100%
92%
92%
8%
8%
PublicNo Yes
Percentage Improvement in Students
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
71% 73% 82%
29% 27% 18%
Percentage Low-Cost Private Schools with an Improve-
ment in Students Yes No
Reading Creative Writing Creative Arts
New Activities
New Ideas
Replicated
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
72%
90%
52%
28%
10%
48%
Impact on Low-Cost Private School Teachers
YesNo
ReadingCreative Writing
Creative Arts
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
90% 90% 89%
10% 10% 11%
Percentage Public Schools with an Improvement in
Students Yes No
New Activities
New Ideas
Replicated
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
88%
82%
71%
12%
18%
29%
Impact on Public School Teachers
Yes No
Comparative Analysis based on Teacher Qualification
Masters Bachelors Twelfth0%
10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
66% 59%33%
34% 41%67%
Pedagogical Change based on Teacher QualificationYes No
New Activ-ities
New Ideas Replicated0%
10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
71%89%
66%
29%11%
34%
MastersYes No
Impact on Teachers
New Activ-ities
New Ideas Replicated0%
10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
73%91%
55%
27%9%
45%
BachelorsYes No
New Activ-ities
New Ideas Replicated0%
10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
100% 100%
25%
0% 0%
75%
TwelfthYes No
Reading Creative Writing
Creative Arts
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
66%
39%
72%
34%
61%
28%
MastersYes No
Measures Taken By Teachers
Reading Creative Writing
Creative Arts
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
79%
50%71%
21%
50%29%
BachelorsYes No
Reading Creative Writing
Creative Arts
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
50%
100% 100%
50%
0% 0%
TwelfthYes No
School Based CLFs- Going Beyond the Pledges
• First two school-based CLFs organized in Kanju and Kabal in district Swat - Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KP) province
• Conflict Area• Two Boys’ Government Schools hosted the CLFs- 19th and 21st
December, 2013• New activities directly inspired from the CLF • “I really liked CLF and was able to attend several sessions. I
learnt how to read with expressions and the proper pronunciation of words.” (student)
School Based CLF- Lahore
• Sanjan Nagar School Hima Campus, Lahore• Located in a minority area• Attended three CLFs: CLF Lahore 2011/2013, CLF Islamabad
2013• CLF organized on January 31st 2014• Packed with interactive activities
Conclusion
CLF had a significant
impact across all school systems
Greater Impact on Public and
Low-Cost Private Schools
Willingness to replicate CLF
activities greater in Teachers with a Bachelors or
Masters Degree
CLF stands as a challenge to the
current education system in Pakistan
Questions?
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