COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN (OOSC) IN BHUTAN, INDIA, AND PAKISTAN: TRANSFERRING INSIGHTS FOR PAKISTAN

Abstract

This paper is an outcome of faculty-student collaboration work during a post-graduate level course on Comparative Education. The focus of the comparative analysis is to address the challenge of educational reach for out-of-school Children (OOSC)in Pakistan, through extracting learnings from interventions/solutions in the context of South Asia which share a more or less similar historical, political (post-colonial) context of education. In this regard, the paper uses the concept of ‘educational transfer’ a prominent theme in doing comparative analysis as a theoretical/analytical framework for reviewing the literature. Central to this concept is the function of ‘transferability’ of knowledge through comparative analysis. The analysis found Bhutan and India as ‘success’ stories of approximating SDG-4 concerning educational reach for OOSC (especially dropouts). The paper concludes by highlighting key insights learned. The findings suggest that Pakistan might benefit from a multifaceted strategy that incorporates community-based education, comprehensive support services, and flexible educational opportunities. By adopting best practices from Bhutan and India and adjusting them to Pakistan's specific socioeconomic and cultural setting, the country may strengthen its efforts to provide all children with inclusive and equal access to education.