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?