Sindh Education Foundation to reopen 168 closed schools

CM approves Rs9.6b budget for the foundation in 2018-19 fiscal year

KARACHI: As part of its efforts to improve accessibility of education in the province, the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) will reopen 168 closed schools.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said this while presiding over the SEF board of governors meeting at CM House. Education was one of the top priorities of his government, the CM said, adding that he was expecting that the foundation would start a school for street children at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan.



The board meeting was attended by Education Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Planning and Development Board Chairperson Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, SEF Managing Director (MD) Naheed Shah, Dr Qazi Masood, Dr Muhammad Memon, Hussain Qamar Shah and SEF representatives among others.

Briefing the meeting, the SEF MD said the foundation had been helping the education department during the last few years. Naheed said the SEF had expanded its outreach to 555,943 students through a network of 2,314 schools, adding that many reforms had also been introduced in the foundation's schools, including information technology-based teaching.



According to her, major milestones achieved by the SEF included enhancement of its post primary school portfolio, introduction of adolescent and adult learning programmes, intensive teacher trainings and arranging assessments through third parties.

The CM appreciated the fact that the foundation undertook a survey of 941 closed government schools in Thatta, Badin, Jamshoro, Dadu and Sujawal districts and submitted a detailed plan to operationalise 168 closed schools on the basis of demography. According to the SEF, over 35,000 students can have access to education if those schools are operationalised.

Murad also expressed satisfaction at the fact that a similar survey was being conducted in Mirpurkhas, Tando Mohammad Khan and Tando Allahyar to reopen closed schools so that over 25,000 out-of-school children could be educated.

After the discussion, the board of governors approved the introduction of a curriculum based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the SEF's secondary and high schools. The CM issued instructions that necessary financing be secured for such an intervention.



The board approved the proposed collaborations with the United Nations Development Program for the education, employment and empowerment of as many as 15,000 youths. It also approved a scholarship programme for high achieving students.

The CM approved the SEF's revised budget of Rs6.23 billion for 2017-18 and estimated budget of Rs9.6 billion for 2018-19.

Education is central for development, Murad said, adding that the foundation needed to continue its efforts in the field of education for the overall interest of the communities living in Sindh.