Education as the cornerstone of social change

Education is perhaps the most effective way to pull children out of poverty and addressing social problems, yet 260 million children around the world are out of school. This is why a group of concerned citizens in Pakistan created The Citizens Foundation (TCF), a non-government organisation aimed at improving access to education as a way of reducing social barriers and making students become agents of positive change.

Selected as one of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Global Best Practices, TCF caters to the most vulnerable populations by setting up dedicated schools with tailored curricula in impoverished urban and rural communities. First established in 1995, TCF provides quality education to girls and boys – with a 50 per cent student gender ratio – using its own textbooks and emphasising the personal, moral and social development of students.

Having grown rapidly since it opened its first school in 1996, TCF now operates 1,567 purpose-built schools around Pakistan, providing quality education to more than 252,000 students. With an all-female faculty, professional management and the continuous review of teaching methods, TCF schools drive social improvement across Pakistan and serve as a model for educational initiatives around the world.

The Expo 2020 Dubai Innovation Series is a weekly blog series highlighting some of the creative and world-changing innovations that are being showcased via Expo 2020 Dubai’s programmes and pavilions.