ABES, a Pakistani NGO working in the education sector for the last thirty four years, specializes in development of teaching methodologies, basic literacy primers, and training teachers. In 1993, ABES’ regional office at Rawalpindi started a Teacher Empowerment Centre (ABES–TEC) and initiated efforts at bringing a qualitative improvement in the regions primary education system. The organization started by establishing 10 one-room, one-teacher community schools in rural areas of Islamabad district. UNICEF funded the project. In addition, 25 Federal Government primary schools were selected to improve quality of classroom teaching. The community schools progressed so well that ABES replicated the model in central Punjab (Narowal District) by establishing 75 more of such community schools. In the meantime, UNICEF continued to help in the upgrading of the ABES-TEC by building its staffs’ capacity through foreign training and providing equipment to improve training quality.

ABES eventually set up 85 community schools, and improved the quality of classroom teaching at 25 federal government primary schools. The organization also focused on adult literacy, health education and community development mostly in the rural areas of Pakistan.

The organization also presented literacy-teaching programs for 7 years on national television in collaboration with Pakistan Television Corporation. To maximize outreach ABES also established 200 Community Viewing Centers, equipped with TV sets, for people who did not have access to television.