CareTech Foundation Launches PSEI for Enhanced SEND Support in Pakistani Schools
The CareTech Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the Pakistan Special Education Initiative (PSEI), a project funded by the Foundation, with a commitment of £100,000 over three years.
PSEI aims to enhance Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) resources in mainstream schools across Pakistan. Key objectives include implementing a screening system similar to the UK’s Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), providing tailored learning resources for school staff, establishing quality standards and training for assessors, and developing a customised SEND curriculum for Pakistani schools.
With approximately 50–60 million people in Pakistan facing mental health or disability challenges, there is a growing demand for robust mental health and SEND support in schools. Currently, schools often rely on overseas resources lacking comprehensive support. Pakistani NGOs and schools have highlighted staff expertise shortages hindering the accommodation of children with SEND requirements.
Leveraging expertise from CareTech Holdings Ltd, the program aims to foster partnerships between schools in the UK and Pakistan. In its initial phase, five Pakistani schools will collaborate with five CareTech Ltd schools, facilitating knowledge exchange and access to specialised training.
PSEI seeks to introduce screening tools for early identification of children with SEND needs, implementing measures for training and accrediting assessors. An Advisory Board comprising local disability advocates and a dedicated Senior Programme Manager will oversee program delivery.
With support from partners in Pakistan and the UK, PSEI aims to empower young Pakistanis by cultivating SEND-confident educators nationwide.
“This Initiative has the bold objective of developing an educational framework to enable young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to flourish that we hope, in time, will be adopted by the Federal Government of Pakistan. This will be life-changing for so many children and their families. The aim is to start with five schools but every year more will be added as we scale our efforts. We will continue to bring on board specialist partners to help us develop the best resources and report on our work. We need local support to do this so I ask everyone to join us in making PSEI a success.”
