Govt striving to bring 3m kids back to schools

Education minister promises to ensure that underprivileged children are not left out


Our Correspondent October 08, 2016
Education minister promises to ensure that underprivileged children are not left out. PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI: If the education of a child costs Rs800 per month, the government should be able to bring as many as three million students back to school, said Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

He said this while presiding over a meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) of Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) on Saturday.

Education minister Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar remarked that the government will explore all options to bring out-of-school children back to schools and ensure that children from underdeveloped regions are not left out. SEF managing director Naheed Shah Durrani said that in the last year-and-a-half, the foundation has expanded its portfolio in accordance with the vision of the government. The foundation has an outreach to 2,447 schools, which have around 491,555 students enrolled in them. Most of the foundation's low-cost schools are located in rural areas and serve students belonging to extremely poor areas, she claimed.

Education reforms: ‘Enrolment in state-run schools surges to 12.5m’

Taking initiative

The board approved the interventions proposed by the SEF management for enhancing the quality of education in SEF-supported schools, including introducing technology in 600 schools and beginning a fellowship, titled 'Teach for Change', which is similar to the Teach for Pakistan initiative.

Under the technology intervention scheme, SEF partner schools will be provided with curriculum software and each school will receive 30 computers and grants for installation of solar panels. This initiative will be funded under the annual development programme scheme, titled 'Introduction of Smart Teaching and Learning in Schools (INSTAL)'. Under the Teach for Change programme, fresh graduates will be hired to teach students in public schools for a while. This will allow the youth to become agents of change, assist in academic planning and improving the learning environment.

"It is clear that we have to march ahead and empower our students in order to prepare them for tomorrow," said the CM. "The government is confronted with complex challenges on the education front and multiple players will have to be deployed. However, there must be effective and visible outcome." He also instructed government organisations to explore possibilities of optimum utilisation of school buildings, especially dysfunctional schools, and start afternoon shifts to bring in greater number of children to schools.

15%-20% rise: Increase in school tuition fee illegal, says SHC

The board approved the post-primary education policy presented by the SEF members for enabling the students to move on to secondary education and beyond. The forum also approved the foundation's budget of 2016-2017 and revised budget of 2015-2016. It was observed that around 89% of budget is being spent on students' fee and student support services. The CM directed that the Board of Governors' meetings be held on quarterly basis, given the critical importance of the sector.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2016.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ