Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans the Department for International Development has to support the training of Kalash teachers in Pakistan to teach Kalash children their own history and culture.

DFID Pakistan provides funding to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for education through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Support Programme (KESP). This includes different teacher professional development programmes (both pre and in-service). Three new teachers working in the Kalash area have participated in the KESP supported pre-service teacher professional development programme, and one of these teachers is Kalash. From April 2020, all teachers in Chitral will participate in the in-service continuous professional development programme, including those who work in schools in Kalash areas. The content of these training programmes is focused on pedagogy, classroom management, curriculum, and equity but does not specifically include teaching Kalash children their own history and culture.

DFID Pakistan are in the process of designing a new programme for education support in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which will have an inclusive education focus. One of the outcomes of the new programme will be to deliver equitable education for all children to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4. There will be an increased focus on marginalised children such as girls, children with disabilities and ethnic minorities. The programme will aim to provide inclusive and equitable education for all, and an improved learning environment for marginalised children. The programme will also set up model inclusive schools in pilot districts to cater to the needs of ethnic and religious minorities.