TCF is a non-profit organization that provides quality education to children who dwell in rural and urban slums of Pakistan.

The Citizens Foundation is a public company limited by guarantee. To find out about the board of directors please refer to our website section TCF People

TCF receives capital and non-capital donations. Capital donations are for constructing and equipping new schools. As such, these funds are used exclusively for that purpose. Non - capital contributions fall into two categories: Zakat and non-Zakat funds.

Zakat funds are used to support the education of deserving children. Non-Zakat funds are spent on providing all education-related services and facilities to the schools.

91.5% of all funding TCF receives is spent on School projects. On the average, the annual administrative expenditure of TCF is 8.5% of total donations received.

Presently TCF receives its funds from various organizations and thousands of individuals based in Pakistan and abroad.

According to the Memorandum and Articles of Association, directors of The Citizens Foundation cannot and do not derive any monetary benefit from the Foundation. On the contrary, the directors invest a lot of their time and resources in managing TCF free of any charge and obligation.

After funding the entire construction and establishment of the first five schools, the directors have continued to make significant regular financial contributions to TCF.

No. All such expenses are borne personally by the directors for the most part. Some of the expenses are debited to the proceeds of the event or sponsored by private organization.

TCF operates in the most destitute areas in order to provide their residents an opportunity to better their lot through quality education. As a consequence of this conscious and essential choice, TCF has accepted the responsibility to support these schools till these areas achieve the requisite level of economic well-being. TCF is, however, simultaneously establishing an endowment fund which when fully in place will meet a part of its annual running expenses.

Yes. TCF has a number of education & training specialists at various management levels - not to mention TCF's own experience of 15 years of providing quality education.

TCF Schools follow a relevant and comprehensive curriculum, which is consistent with the targets set by the National Curriculum. However, this syllabus is suitably modified and regularly updated to meet the demands of modern-day education. Furthermore, activities such as debates, essay writing, art, naat and qirat competitions along with sports help to develop TCF's students holistically.

Textbooks are purchased centrally by TCF and supplied to the students at their purchase/discounted prices. Parents have the option to pay for the textbooks in installments. The more expensive textbooks have been purchased by TCF and kept in class lending libraries.

• Q: Who selects them, what is the system?
• Teachers are selected strictly on merit. All posts are advertised in newspapers. Applications are vetted against announced criteria. All acceptable candidates are invited through individual letters for interview. The interview is conducted by a panel. Selected candidates are then issued formal appointment letters.
• Q: Are they trained, what is the system?
• All selected teachers, regardless of their academic or teaching qualifications and experience are given extensive Pre-Service training (PRESET) in March before the beginning of the Academic year. The second phase of PRESET is conducted during the Summer. Our master trainers in other locations for a period of four weeks (approx: 110-120 hrs.). All in-service teachers are given annual developmental training to update their knowledge and equip them with latest teaching skills.
• Q: Are they paid, how much?
• All employees of TCF, including teachers, are paid regular salaries. The salary of a teacher is fixed on the basis of her academic and teaching qualifications, teaching experience, and potential. However all teachers are compensated as per the acceptable salary standards prescribed by the government. In addition to their salaries, the teachers get paid holidays, pick and drop facilities, and their children receive special fee concessions.
• Q: What is the accepted level of qualification?
• The acceptable level of qualification has been established on the basis of the classes that selected teachers are likely to be assigned. At the primary level, the minimum qualification is matriculation whereas at the secondary level, it is graduation. All principals and English language teachers must also be graduates. Please note that these are minimum qualifications. However, TCF has many teachers with master's degrees teaching at the primary level.

There are numerous ways supporters may help TCF’s Education Program. We can only suggest a few, but you may be able to find many more ways to help. You can personally contribute or raise funds for TCF’s Education Program, collect books for school libraries, discuss the possibility of participation in teacher training or formally join our support groups in Pakistan, USA, Canada, UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and help out in our fundraisers. Your spreading awareness about TCF is also your contribution to the cause. For further details click here.

Expenses of Head office and the Regional/Area Offices are borne by TCF. Some directors assist financially or in kind to reduce administrative expenses.

The Citizens Foundation has evolved an effective system to monitor and evaluate its programme activities. This system is fine-tuned regularly to ensure its efficacy and relevance.

Each school and its faculty is evaluated by a team of evaluators. All aspects of the school including its administration and performance of its faculty are evaluated on the basis of set criteria. This performance evaluation helps us in upgrading our systems, career planning of our academic staff and designing the annual refresher training for our faculty. The quest for excellence is an incessant process at TCF.

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of need. Need is judged by calculating the overall household income of each family and its education related expenses with the objective of making education affordable for every student. All applicants for financial assistance fill in a printed form providing all necessary details about their family and resources. The school staff then, through visits to the applicants' homes, verifies this information. Finally TCF principals send the completed scholarship forms, along with their recommendations to their respective Regional Offices where the final decision is taken.

Scholarships are given for one academic year and the recipients are eligible to reapply. Deserving students get uniforms and textbooks free of cost. Others are provided the facility of purchasing uniforms and textbooks on easy installments. This facility is offered to reduce the financial burden on parents at the beginning of the academic year, a time when they have to buy uniforms and textbooks for all their school-going children.

In order to promote education en masse, it is imperative that admission is given to all children. Consequently, there are no tests at the entry level. Beyond entry level, tests are conducted to determine the grade in which a child can be given admission.

Less than 1%. Only those children whose parents move to another town or locality withdraw their children from TCF schools

Teachers and parents hold meetings every quarter, which are recorded meticulously. The objective of these meetings is to apprise parents of the progress their children are making and how they can supplement the teachers’ efforts at home. PTMs are also a regular feature to reinforce upon parents the important role they play in their child’s education, and to bolster their investment in their child’s future.

The students of TCF schools go on regular field trips, participate in art and other competitions, and hold functions on important national days.

TCF has schools in rural areas and urban slums of Pakistan. Most TCF schools in the Punjab are in villages

None at all. On the contrary, local residents and parents everywhere have been extremely helpful and co-operative. In the Punjab, individuals or group of local residents have even donated plots for building schools.

TCF schools are basically co-educational institutes, except in cases where there are cultural restrictions and/or requirements by Provincial Educational Boards. TCF Schools have close to 50% female students.

Yes. TCF maintains a separate account for Zakat funds. These funds are utilized strictly in accordance with the Shariah rules governing their use.

TCF is establishing an endowment fund which when fully in place will meet a part of its annual running expenses. It intends to increase the size of this fund over a period of time. With millions of children out of school, we want to get the maximum number of children into our schools.

The expenses of all fund-raising events, like theater shows etc., are sponsored and / or debited to the proceeds of that event.

The Citizens Foundation has evolved an effective system to monitor and evaluate its program activities. This system is fine-tuned regularly to ensure its efficacy and relevance. Each school and its faculty are evaluated by a team of evaluators. All aspects of the school including its administration and performance of its faculty are evaluated on the basis of set criteria. This performance evaluation helps us in upgrading our systems, career planning of our academic staff and designing the annual refresher training for our faculty. The quest for excellence is an incessant process at TCF.

TCF has successfully managed to have 4000 students who passed out with flying colors.

Our students have managed to get into really good universities and are also working at reputable organizations. Just to highlight a few two of our students got into IBA and SZABIST a business institute everyone wishes to get into. One of our students is working at a reputable call centre TRG and is earning a considerable income to support her family. Recently one of our students got admitted in Dow Medical University.

No, we do not have separate campuses for male & female. We believe in 50% enrollment for both boys and girls.

There are a number of ways you can contribute your time to TCF regardless of your age or your country of residence.TCF Rahbar is a mentorship program aimed at the development of youth as responsible individuals and as productive members of the society. In line with this, the role of a mentor in Rahbar is to encourage the mentee to develop a positive thought process, a vision for his/her future, theplan to realize that vision and the capacity to deal with the failure that he/she will inadvertently confront on this journey. TCF Summer Camp-it takes place every year during June & July at various TCF schools in Karachi and Lahore. Hundreds of enthusiastic students from a number of prestigious educational institutes volunteer every year. During the camp the volunteers get a chance to teach different skills to TCF students and organize fun activities for them. On the last day of the summer camp volunteer is awarded with a certificate in recognition of his/her services.

People volunteering for TCF are corporate and individuals are ready to dedicate their time whole heartedly. To be part of the TCF volunteer programs all one has to do is register online.

The auditors KPMG Taseer Hadi & Co.retire offer themselves for re-appointment. The audit firm has been satisfactory rating under the Quality Control Review Program of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and the firm is fully compliant with the international federation of accountant’s guideline on codes of ethics, as adopted by ICAP. The Audit Committee and the board of directors of the company endorsed their appointment for members’ consideration at the forthcoming annual general meeting.

The quality parameters of TCF are based on the following 5C’s 1. Conceptual Knowledge 2. Communication skill 3. Creative and Critical thinking 4. Confidence 5. Core values

TCF has presence in 83 towns and cities and 51 districts.

Today Pakistan is crippled by an education emergency which threatens tens of millions of children. At least seven million children are not in primary schools. Three million will never see inside of a classroom at all.

Lack of funds is a major issue inhibiting the educational development of Pakistan since owing to the low funds allotted it becomes impossible to construct new schools in areas where education is otherwise inaccessible. Secondly, the lack of funds disables existing schools from improving the quality of education through teachers’ training, hiring better and more qualified faculty etc. On the other hand, the negative impact of corruption on education can’t be denied either. From inhibiting funds being allotted towards education to the operation of ghost schools and everything thing in between be it hiring unqualified faculty, zero maintenance of school building etc, corruption is taking a heavy toll on education in Pakistan.TCF has a transparent system of management and despite our vast network of schools we are able to maintain full transparency. If this system is adopted on a national level then the impact of corruption can be curtailed and funds could be managed in a more effective way through prioritizing on need basis.

Issues like corruption, land grabbing, politically pressuring a certain community to discourage from acquiring education are commonly heard-of occurrences hampering development of education in Pakistan. However, TCF has been rather fortunate as over a period of sixteen years we have never faced such set-backs.

Each government perceives the educational situation of Pakistan differently and brings about changes accordingly. While the fact that the rate of literacy has improved over the years can’t be denied but on the other hand, the fact remains that its pace has been slow. The government is trying to improve the situation but should prioritize while countering factors hindering educational development because without this the change will continue to be slow and will not yield desired results.

Lack of awareness about the advantage of education, poverty, inaccessibility and affordability of schools, political pressures on rural community, social norms discouraging female education are just some factors that inhibit educational development especially in the rural areas.

Each government perceives the educational situation of Pakistan differently and brings about changes accordingly. Over the years all the regimes have contributed something or the other towards educational uplift therefore it is difficult to gauge the success of one over the other. TCF being a non-government organization has tried to be a good citizen and contribute its share towards educational development. In this course we have learnt from the government initiatives towards education and have either have adopted those to make our system better or modified to yield even better results.

The government schools of Pakistan, due to their omnipresent nature have a huge potential to cater to the educational deficit. However, effective monitoring of these schools is the key to improving their standard. It is because of its lack that majority of these schools are lagging behind in providing quality education or even generating attendance. A true sense of ownership on part of the government is required to improve them.

Achieving such a high level of literacy is no doubt a time taking process and will require dedication of the government and decision makers. If however, the government and NGOs work hand in hand and a more up-to-date and standardized model of education is adopted then the process could be speeded up.

The ideal strategy would be that the government and NGOs work hand-in-hand to cater to the vast educational deficit and adopt a more up-to-date and standardized model of education along with focusing on providing education to rural communities to speed up the process.

This is primarily because NGOs specialize in a certain field of work therefore are able to allocate their resources better and strategize more effectively unlike the government that has to maintain a check and balance over many areas.