The DICE Forum and Ministry of Federal Education Sign MoU to Launch the KITAB Project in Islamabad Capital Territory
Islamabad 28 July 2026: The DICE Forum and the Directorate General of Basic Education Community Schools (BECS), Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly implement the KITAB Project (Knowledge and Inclusion Through Access to Books), a collaborative initiative aimed at addressing foundational literacy and reducing learning poverty through the establishment of portable libraries in registered informal, non-formal and community-based schools across the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The signing ceremony brought together senior representatives of The DICE Forum, officials of the the BECS, and the Ministry of Education reflecting a shared commitment to improving educational opportunities for children from underserved and marginalised communities.
The collaboration is founded on a shared recognition that Pakistan faces a significant learning crisis, with many children unable to acquire foundational literacy skills despite attending school. Informal and community-based schools play a vital role in reaching children who are often excluded from mainstream educational opportunities, making them an important platform for targeted literacy interventions.
Guided by Pakistan’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) and national priorities to reduce learning poverty, the KITAB Project seeks to improve equitable access to books and learning resources while creating sustainable reading environments within schools.
Unlike conventional library initiatives, the KITAB Project introduces a portable and scalable school library model designed to integrate reading into the daily learning experience. The initiative combines access to quality books with practical systems, teacher capacity building and creative learning methodologies to ensure student active participation in learning.
As part of the programme, participating schools will receive portable library resources alongside comprehensive training for teachers in library management, book cataloguing, circulation systems and library maintenance. Teachers will also be equipped with practical approaches to promote reading through storytelling, guided reading sessions, book clubs, creative writing and arts-based learning inspired by children’s literature.
By embedding these activities within existing school environments, the project aims to cultivate reading habits, strengthen literacy, improve communication skills and foster creativity, confidence and critical thinking among young learners.
Under the terms of the MoU, The DICE Forum will provide the conceptual framework, strategic design and quality standards for the Portable Library Initiative, while building partnerships with development agencies, corporate CSR platforms and knowledge partners to support implementation and long-term sustainability. The Forum will also contribute to implementation guidelines, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, documentation and knowledge sharing.
The partnership is expected to contribute to measurable improvements in reading proficiency among primary-grade students, strengthen teachers’ capacity to integrate reading into classroom practice, increase community engagement in education and establish a sustainable culture of reading supported by institutional and community ownership.
Speaking on the occasion, representatives from both organisations reaffirmed their shared commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to books, opportunities to develop foundational literacy and learning environments that inspire curiosity, creativity and lifelong learning.
The KITAB Project has been designed as a replicable model that can be expanded beyond the Islamabad Capital Territory, contributing to national efforts to improve literacy outcomes and strengthen inclusive education across Pakistan.
About The DICE Forum
The DICE Forum is a policy and development platform advancing Diplomacy, Inclusion, Climate and Education through dialogue, partnerships and community-led initiatives. Working closely with government, academia, the private sector, development partners and civil society, the Forum develops practical programmes that contribute to sustainable development, social inclusion and educational transformation in Pakistan.
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