Students' attendance goes high-tech

CM Murad calls SAMRS a 'transformative, nationally replicable model'

KARACHI:

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday inaugurated the Student Attendance Monitoring and Redress System (SAMRS), describing it as a "revolutionary and transformative model" that places technology and evidence-based decision-making at the heart of education reforms.

Speaking at the provincial-level launch ceremony held at a local hotel, the chief minister said SAMRS is the first comprehensive digital system introduced in any province of Pakistan, linking student attendance with school infrastructure, teacher performance and learning outcomes.

"This is not just a monitoring tool," Murad Ali Shah said. "It empowers us to make decisions based on data rather than assumptions, enabling clearer identification of challenges faced by our children and ensuring timely and effective responses."

The ceremony was attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, World Bank Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar, representatives of UNICEF, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the Asian Development Bank, British Council, JICA, officials from the School Education and Literacy Department (SELD), education experts and development partners.

The chief minister said SAMRS is already operational in 600 schools across 12 districts, with expansion underway in four more districts through UNICEF support. He noted that the system is designed not only to track absenteeism but also to predict dropout risks, suggest interventions and improve overall school governance.

Calling SAMRS a model for the entire country, Shah said the1Aq government is institutionalizing the system through a new policy to ensure sustainability and full integration into Sindh's education governance framework.

He thanked the World Bank, GPE and other development partners for their "trust, technical guidance and unwavering cooperation" to strengthen public education, and appreciated the reform support teams for their innovation and commitment.

Holistic approach

The chief minister stressed the need to connect education with health, nutrition and child protection services. He urged partners to explore integrating SAMRS with systems for vaccination, health screenings and social protection. "Schools should not just be classrooms; they must be centers of child well-being and community trust," he said.

Education Minister Sardar Shah termed SAMRS a "game changer," establishing a unified digital platform combining attendance, performance and infrastructure indicators for informed decision-making.

With NADRA's support, he said, student identities are shifting from system-generated IDs to verified B-Form numbers, ensuring every child in Sindh is accurately identified and supported.

He noted that 99% of schools using SAMRS submitted attendance reports, and 92% implemented corrective measures — a key step toward reducing student dropout rates.

World Bank's Bolormaa Amgaabazar said SAMRS is not a donor-driven initiative but Sindh's own plan to improve education quality, demonstrating the government's commitment to reform.

SELECT project support

The chief minister also highlighted the $154.7 million SELECT Project, funded by the World Bank and GPE, which focuses on improving literacy in early grades, modernizing teaching methods, designing climate-resilient school infrastructure and strengthening SAMRS for better student retention, particularly among girls, across 12 districts.

The government announced a structured training rollout to scale SAMRS across Sindh, beginning with master trainers and extending to cluster heads and satellite schools. "This is how we turn innovation into legacy," Shah remarked.

Reaffirming his commitment, he said: "Our dedication to every child in Sindh is unwavering. Every child deserves to attend school, to engage and to progress. This is the future we are building together."

The ceremony concluded with a joint pledge by the provincial government and development partners to strengthen governance and deliver a modern, equitable and technology-driven education system across Sindh. The CM, accompanied by Education Minister Sardar Shah and the World Bank Country Director, formally launched SAMRS by pressing a digital activation button.