The Department of Elementary Education is one of the oldest departments in the Institute of Education and Research (IER). The department is running nine graduate and undergraduate programs within IER. The department was established in 1960 under umbrella of the Institute of Education and Research in cooperation with the School of Education, Indiana University, United States of America. It is a pioneer institute in Pakistan for advanced studies in the field of elementary education. It enjoys the status of a premier and prestigious department of elementary education and early childhood in Pakistan. The department has 80 faculty members with twelve permanent and the rest as visiting teachers. Many of the staff members are highly qualified with Post Doc. and PhD degrees.
The department started Masters’ degree programs in early childhood education along with elementary education and other academic and professional programs. It is the first department which is introducing these programs in the country. The programs are accredited by the various academic and professional bodies of Higher Education Commissions of Punjab and Pakistan. The department has also started the post graduate diplomas of one year for preparing teachers in elementary as well as early childhood education. The department has thousands of alumini. Now it is preparing models for elementary and early childhood education for education departments and other stakeholders for quality education system at elementary and early childhood level.