FLI Supports Private Sector Schools in Teaching Indigenous Languages

Following the lead of public sector schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, private sector schools have also begun teaching indigenous languages. Al-Khidmat Foundation (AKF) Schools have taken the initiative, with FLI providing capacity-building support to their teachers.

A three-day workshop was organized for 29 teachers at AKF’s Qutaiba Campus in Chitral, with 17 female teachers among the participants. The workshop focused on teaching the Khowar language, which is one of the five languages included in the KP government’s curriculum since 2016.

Although the government advised private schools to incorporate indigenous languages into their curriculum, they were initially hesitant. However, AKF schools have now taken the lead, starting with Khowar language classes in Chitral. As a significant stakeholder in KP’s education sector, AKF’s initiative is expected to expand to other regions.

The Langlands School in Chitral had earlier introduced Khowar as a subject hiring a dedicated teacher. FLI has been working closely with KP education bodies to facilitate the teaching of indigenous languages, developing curriculum materials and training government officials and teachers. Recently, FLI trained 85 primary school teachers in Upper Chitral to teach Khowar and plans to train 100 primary school teachers in Dera Ismail Khan to teach Saraiki.

FLI’s support to private sector schools aims to promote the preservation and development of indigenous languages in the region.