MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

TAKMIL-Teach A Kid, Make Individual Life

One-line solution summary:

Free of Cost Education Delivery to the Out of School Children through Technology

Pitch your solution.

TAKMIL addresses the problem of out-of-school children in Pakistan who are missing out on education due to various socio-economic and pandemic-induced reasons.

To solve this crisis and prevent it from exacerbating, TAKMIL proposes a cost-effective and technology-based scalable solution that is designed in accordance with the needs of multi-age children living in resource-limited communities. The solution integrates non-formal accelerated learning, online and offline education delivery systems, digital assessments, and robust progress tracking and evaluation mechanisms (based on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Models) to make education accessible in these communities.

TAKMIL's solution can transform the lives of children missing out on education across the globe by developing the skills and competencies they need to thrive in the 21st century while being resilient even in the challenging and disruptive times of the pandemic.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

TAKMIL addresses the problem of access and quality of education in resource-limited communities of Pakistan where children are deprived of their fundamental education rights.

According to Pakistan Education Statistics 2016-17, there are 22.8 million out-of-school children (5-16 years) which is the second-highest in the world. Lack of education is one of the biggest hurdles in the development of Pakistan as 40% of school-age children (6-16 Years) in Pakistan live under the dark shades of illiteracy. According to UNESCO Institute of Statistics 2018, around 6 million (24.7 %) primary school-age children (5-9 Years) are out of school with a gender distribution of 3.6 million (31%) girls and 2.3 million (18%) boys. On top of these worrisome statistics, World Bank indicates that the pandemic has added 1 million children to the total number due to increased dropouts from schools.

70% of these above-mentioned out of school belong to communities that lack even basic facilities and parents are only concerned about keeping their children alive. The existing private and public schools in these communities are either in far-flung areas, non-functional or unaffordable. Moreover, education is something that they are least concerned about and without it the future of these children is at stake.

What is your solution?

TAKMIL's solution equips the out-of-school children with literacy and digital skills through an Ed-Tech model that consists of digital content delivery, class management, digital assessment, monitoring, and performance dashboard in the following ways:

1. Establishing a Non-Formal community school with the help of a community-based facilitator who has an understanding of the education landscape in his/her region.

2. Providing education through an Accelerated and ICT integrated Curriculum which is designed to enhance learning outcomes and digital skills among the children of diverse age groups in a short amount of time.
The curriculum consists of 3 phases:

Phase I: Primary education in 12 months,
Phase II: Middle school education in 18 months
Phase III: Higher education or technical and income-generating skills education.

Every lesson is developed through the smart integration of video lessons curated and aligned with learning objectives.The lessons are delivered through Raspberry Pi-embedded projectors and tablets powered by solar panels. We also have the system of delivering lessons through Application.

3. The learning process of each child is monitored and evaluated at regular intervals through Digital Assessments conducted via Application. The progress tracking system also integrates a machine learning platform to predict student’s performance in the future.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

TAKMIL primarily targets the out of school children between the ages of 5 to 16 years living in the remote communities of Pakistan with no affordable and functional schools nearby.

These children, including minorities and differently-abled, are those who missed out on their chance of education due to poverty and the non-availability of government schools in their areas. They are left behind to live a substandard life similar to that of their parents and are taken away the chance to fulfill their dreams. Currently, most of them are either working with their parents to sustain themselves or wasting their time in the streets. Without education, the future of these children is at stake.

These children could not be streamed into the formal education system due to different needs and different age groups. TAKMIL is addressing their needs in the following ways:

A specially designed non-formal education curriculum that follows the methodology of Teaching at the Right Level to equips them with basic primary and middle level literacy in a short time period.
With the help of our local community-based facilitators, our solution makes the community understand the dire need and the importance of education for its development.
Catering to cultural aspects of some remote communities, female facilitators are hired to keep the out-of-school girls in schools.
We also have a flexible timing system that allows the children who work with their parents to continue their education journey.
Instead of providing them only basic literacy skills, we equip them with latest digital skills also which increases their eagerness to learn more and keep up with the fast-paced world.

It is cost-effective, portable, and centralized for a remote community with no internet, electricity, buildings, and educational infrastructure.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Increase the engagement of learners in remote, hybrid, and physical environments, including strategies and tools for parental support, peer interaction, and guided independent work.

Explain how the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge.

Our Solution closely relates to the first dimension as we engage a learner who belongs to a community with limited resources and no proper education infrastructure. But, despite these challenges, the learner acquires basic primary level literacy in one year through our hybrid, Ed-tech-based education system.

Physical schools offer them a place where they can enjoy the school environment, have face-to-face interaction with teachers, meet other students, and have new experiences, as well as digital lessons and assessments, give them exposure and a better understanding of each lesson.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Islamabad, Pakistan

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Growth: An organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in one or, ideally, several communities, which is poised for further growth.

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution.

We have selected "Growth" as the stage of development because TAKMIL has been working since 2017. To date, we have reached out to 2000 out-of-school children in 33 remote communities and provided basic primary level literacy to 1000 children.

Currently, we have 19 functional schools across all four provinces of Pakistan with a current enrollment of 900 students. The proposed solution has been tested on 1000 students and produced significant outcomes. Currently, 28% of students are in Phase II after successfully Completing Phase I. We have set the mission to reach and teach 1 Million out-of-school children by 2025. For this purpose, we are in the process of expanding to more communities.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Dr. Shahid Qamar