Murad for street children school at Mazar of Lal Shahbaz Qaladar

Naimat Khan

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the education was top priority of his government and he was happy that the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) was working on his agenda.

CM Sindh directed SEF to functionalize 168 closed viable schools.

“I am looking forward to see your [SEF] school at the Mazar of Lal Shahbaz Qaladar for street children,” he said while presiding over Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) Board of Governors’ meeting here at the CM House.

Ms. Naheed Shah Durrani, MD SEF; briefing the Board, stated that the Foundation during the last few years has made efforts to supplement the efforts of School Education and Literacy Dept (SELD) . She added that the Foundation has not only expanded the outreach to over 555,943 students through a network of 23,14 schools but also undertaken the quality reforms, including the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based teaching and learning in SEF assisted schools.

Some major milestones as Naheed Shah mentioned including enhancing the post primary school portfolio; introducing Adolescent and Ault learning and training program; undertaking intensive teacher trainings and instituting students Assessments through third party.

Siondh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah appreciated the fact that the Foundation has undertaken survey of 941 closed Government schools of Thatta, Badin, Jamshoro, Dadu and Sujawal district and has submitted a detailed plan to operationalize 168 of these closed schools which have been found to be viable on the basis of demography and over 35,000 students can have access to education in these remote areas. He also appreciated that a similar survey is being conducted in Mirpurkhas; Tando Mohammad Khan and Tando Allahyar to open the closed schools to get over 25,000 out of school children to be enrolled. This strategy of identifying and operationalizing the closed viable SELD schools would bring in a large number of out of school students in school.

The SEF Board discussed and approved the following:

The partnership with Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) and the Citizen Education Foundation allowing SEF to take over the earlier OMV managed schools for the provision of quality education in desert areas of Ghotki, Saleh pat and Nara on sustained basis.

The introduction of ICT and Science, Technology Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), integrated curriculum in Sindh government and SEF secondary /high schools through SEF and issued instructions that necessary financing may be secured for such an important intervention. He agreed with the proposal that the students studying in SEF-assisted and SELD run schools should gradually be acquainted the concepts of ICT-based integrated curriculum.

The “School Education Scholarship Programme for award of scholarship to 1300 meritorious students of SEF assisted and SELD run schools who perform well in SEF and government administered Assessments for getting post primary (Grade 6 to 12 level) education in the quality institutions like Sukkur IBA University Community Colleges/ Public Schools across Sindh.

The Collaboration with UNDP for education, employment and empowerment of youth through dedicated intervention targeting approx. 15,000 youth.

The chief minister approved the budget revised estimated 2017-18 of Rs6.225 billion and estimate budget of Rs9,597.721 million for 2018-19.

The Chief Minister reiterated that Education is central to development and in this regard, Foundation has visibly put in commendable efforts. These efforts need to continue in the overall interest of our communities and overall development in the province.