80 million pounds for Sindh schooling

DFID to fund a project to educate one million students.

ISLAMABAD:

Eighty million pounds will be given by the UK’s Department of International Development (DFID) to increase schooling in Sindh and educate one million students at the primary and middle levels.

A meeting was held at Aiwan-e-Sadr to discuss Sindh’s education issues on Friday. It was decided that the DIFD would provide funds over the next five years to a non-profit company to be set up, the Sindh Education Initiative (EFS), under the Companies Ordinance 1984.

The president’s spokesperson, Farhatullah Babar, said that the fund will support any government or NGO-adopted government school that applies, as long as it fulfills the minimum criteria. A school must have a credible system of accounting, adequate facilities for boys and girls, lower than 10 per cent teacher absenteeism and the hiring and firing powers to be eligible for financial support from the fund.

Education Task Force (ETF) Co-chair Shahnaz Wazir Ali briefed the meeting on the force’s activities to promote education by creating a conducive environment.

Sindh education minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq gave a presentation on the Sindh Education Sector Reform and briefed the meeting about the SEI fund.

UK High Commisioner Adam Thomson was especially invited to the meeting and discussed DIFD activities to assist the education sector in Pakistan.

Babar said that President Asif Ali Zardari has called for greater support to schools in rural areas by the provincial government and advised that a comprehensive plan be drawn up in the next 10 weeks. In order to reach the education targets, the stakeholders must work with the federal and provincial governments because the provision of education is a shared responsibility.

The president stressed the need for international assistance to reform the militant mindset and wean children away from educational institutions that are run by extremist elements.

Published in The express Tribune, March 12^th, 2011.