Beaconhouse School System Primary Campus Sargodha

Giving child labourers a brighter future

Beaconhouse Primary Campus Sargodha, an independent kindergarten and primary school in rural Sargodha, Pakistan, stands as a paragon of community collaboration, reintegrating child labourers into education through its transformative "Brighter Futures" project. Motivated by the urgent need to shift local norms from labour to learning, the school launched this initiative in the 2021-22 academic year, serving as a crucial educational refuge for children otherwise bound to premature work.

The "Brighter Futures" project has significantly altered life trajectories for its participants, with 85% of enrolled children achieving basic literacy and numeracy within the first year. Despite initial resistance from families reliant on child labour for income, the project successfully enrolled 20 children, tailoring educational pathways to each child's needs and background. This bespoke approach ranged from foundational learning for younger children to accelerated programmes for older students, ensuring appropriate educational engagement for all.

Beyond individual success, the programme has catalysed wider community transformation. Parents and local stakeholders, initially hesitant, now enjoy the palpable benefits of education, leading to increased support for the initiative. This engagement is crucial in a region where child labour is often normalised. The school's efforts have fostered a broader cultural shift towards valuing education over child labour, with children themselves becoming advocates within their communities, teaching literacy skills to peers and family members.

Should Beaconhouse Primary Campus Sargodha win the World’s Best School Prize for Community Collaboration, the prize money would be invested in expanding the project, enhancing educational resources, and broadening community engagement initiatives. These efforts aim to sustain and deepen the project's impact, ensuring that education remains a viable and valued pathway for all children in the community.