wazaif
Benazir Taleemi Wazaif is a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program that supports the education of children from families benefiting from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) up to the higher secondary level. The program incentivizes families to enroll their children in schools and colleges and ensures they remain in the education system, reducing dropout rates.
Objectives
The primary objectives of the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif program are:
- To create long-term awareness among BISP beneficiary families about the importance of education.
- To increase school enrollment for primary, secondary, and higher secondary education.
- To improve school attendance.
- To reduce dropout rates.
Stakeholders
The key stakeholders involved in the program include:
- BISP
- Provincial Education Departments
- Schools
- Donors
Background
The Benazir Taleemi Wazaif program began as a pilot in five districts in November 2012. It expanded to 32 districts by 2015, 50 by 2018, and 100 by January 2020. By July 2020, the program had been implemented in all districts of Pakistan.
Key Processes
- Micro Supply Capacity Assessment (MSCA)
- BISP collects data from provincial education departments on the capacity of public schools, including enrollment capacity, infrastructural conditions, and accessibility.
- Social Mobilization
- BISP field teams create awareness about the importance of education, encouraging beneficiary families to enroll their children in schools. They also address non-compliance issues by visiting families with low attendance rates.
- Registration and Enrollment
- After the MSCA, BISP conducts a large-scale registration process, inviting potential beneficiaries to registration centers. The process ensures that children of active BISP families are enrolled in the program.
- Admission and Attendance Compliance
- Cash transfers are conditional on children meeting admission and attendance requirements. Families receive cash benefits only if their children comply with these conditions. Non-compliance results in suspension from the program.
- Case Management
- BISP field offices handle various complaints and issues from beneficiaries to improve program implementation and maintain beneficiary confidence.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif program, children must:
- Belong to an active BISP Kafalat beneficiary family.
- Be aged 4-12 years for primary education, 8-18 years for secondary education, or 13-22 years for higher secondary education.
Enrollment Process
Eligible children must be admitted to a school or college. Beneficiaries visit enrollment camps or field offices with the following documents:
- Beneficiary’s CNIC
- B-form/CRC issued by NADRA
- School/college admission slip verified by a teacher
Co-Responsibilities
The program requires children to:
- Be admitted to a school or college.
- Attend school or college for at least 70% of effective days within a quarter.
Benefit Amount
The stipend rates for enrolled children are as follows:
| Description | Per Boy/quarter (Rs.) | Per Girl/quarter (Rs.) |
| Primary Level | 1,500 | 2,000 |
| Secondary Level | 2,500 | 3,000 |
| Higher Secondary | 3,500 | 4,000 |
Graduation Bonus for Girls
A one-time graduation bonus of Rs. 3,000 is provided to encourage girls to complete primary education.
Enrollment Statistics
Since the program’s inception, 12.01 million children have been enrolled. The education level-wise breakdown is:
| Education Level | No. of Boys | No. of Girls | Total Children |
| Primary | 4,853,113 | 4,453,211 | 9,306,324 |
| Secondary | 1,323,955 | 1,082,904 | 2,406,859 |
| Higher Secondary | 156,851 | 140,810 | 297,661 |
| Total | 6,333,919 | 5,676,925 | 12,010,844 |
Disbursement
Since the program’s inception, BISP has disbursed Rs. 63.34 billion under the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif program.
Conclusion
Benazir Taleemi Wazaif is a transformative program that supports the education of children from low-income families, ensuring they stay in school and complete their education. Through financial incentives and strong support mechanisms, the program is making significant strides in reducing dropout rates and promoting long-term educational attainment across Pakistan.