20,000 Pakistani children in the UAE are currently out of school.
In a landmark development for Pakistani expatriate families across the UAE, Learn School Academy — the Karachi-based online school founded by Wahaj Kayani — was featured by Arab News Pakistan for its groundbreaking partnership with the Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD), one of the UAE’s oldest and most respected Pakistani community organizations.
The feature, written by journalist Buraq Shabbir and published on May 11, 2024, highlights how the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) — committing to provide online tuition to Pakistani children in the UAE who are currently out of school due to the prohibitively high cost of traditional private education.
The Problem: 20,000 Pakistani Children Without Education in the UAE
According to PAD General Secretary Zahid Hassan, approximately 20,000 Pakistani children in the UAE are currently not enrolled in any school — despite strict expectations from UAE authorities that all resident children receive an education.
The Pakistani diaspora in the UAE is the second largest overseas Pakistani community in the world, and one of the oldest expatriate groups in the Arab state. Yet thousands of families simply cannot afford the fees charged by private schools — leaving their children with no access to formal education.
— Zahid Hassan, General Secretary, Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD)
The Solution: Learn School Academy’s Partnership with PAD
PAD — which has been serving overseas Pakistanis in the UAE since 1963 — announced its collaboration with Learn School Academy in February 2024, formalizing the partnership through a signed MoU at PAD headquarters in Dubai.
Under the terms of the MoU, Learn School Academy offers a 50% fee discount to PAD, which bears the cost on behalf of eligible families — making quality online education genuinely accessible to Pakistani children who would otherwise remain out of school.
For Wahaj Kayani, this partnership represents far more than a commercial collaboration — it is the realization of Learn School Academy’s core mission: to provide affordable, high-quality education to Pakistani communities worldwide.
— Dr. Wahaj Kayani, Founder & CEO, Learn School Academy
What This Partnership Means for Pakistani Families in the UAE
Through this collaboration, eligible Pakistani families in the UAE gain access to Learn School Academy’s full online schooling program — including:
✓ Live, teacher-led online classes — not pre-recorded videos
✓ Pearson Edexcel British curriculum — IGCSE, O Level, A Level (Affiliation #96748)
✓ FBISE Pakistani national curriculum — Institution Code 3114
✓ Scholarships for online learning through the PAD-brokered discount framework
✓ Modern pedagogical approaches — including project-based learning
✓ Full access to Learn School Academy’s LMS — digital resources, assessments, and teacher support
✓ Flexible scheduling — designed for expatriate family life in the UAE
— Dr. Wahaj Kayani, Founder & CEO, Learn School Academy
A Historic First — and a Vision for Global Expansion
The PAD partnership marked Learn School Academy’s first formal collaboration outside Pakistan — a milestone that reflects the school’s growing international credibility and its commitment to serving the Pakistani diaspora worldwide.
But Wahaj Kayani’s vision extends far beyond the UAE. Speaking to Arab News, he outlined an ambitious roadmap for replicating this model globally:
— Dr. Wahaj Kayani, Founder & CEO, Learn School Academy
Learn at a Glance
About Learn School Academy
Learn School Academy was established by Wahaj Kayani to provide digital schooling to students worldwide. Based in DHA Phase 8, Karachi, Pakistan, with a RAKEZ-approved UAE presence in Ras Al Khaimah, the school offers both Pearson Edexcel British curriculum and FBISE Pakistani national curriculum — making it the only online school serving Pakistani families globally with dual curriculum under one roof.
The school currently serves students across Pakistan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, and beyond — living out its founder’s vision of making high-quality, affordable education accessible to every Pakistani family, regardless of where in the world they live.
Official Affiliations
About Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD)
The Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) is a non-profit organization that has been dedicated to welfare projects for Pakistanis in the UAE since 1963 — making it one of the oldest and most established Pakistani community organizations in the Arab world. PAD serves the Pakistani diaspora — the second largest overseas Pakistani community globally — through welfare programs, community events, and educational initiatives.
Reference Article: https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2508431/pakistan