Sindh's govt schools get purse strings

Rs18.67b budget goes directly to campuses as 31,633 heads named DDOs

KARACHI:

In a landmark shift aimed at strengthening school management, the government of Sindh has handed financial authority directly to public school heads, empowering them to manage funds for facilities and institutional improvements. Acting on the directives of Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, the School Education and Literacy Department has designated heads of 31,633 government schools as Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) under the School Specific Budget initiative for the financial year 2025-26, enabling them to utilise allocated funds at the school level.

The move — backed by a Rs18.67 billion allocation — is being described by officials as the first initiative of its kind in the country, shifting financial control from central offices directly to schools in a bid to make administration faster, more transparent and responsive to on-ground needs.

According to an official statement, principals, headmasters, headmistresses and in-charge headmasters have been appointed as DDOs through an office order issued by the department. The allocated funds will be used under respective cost centres and will be spent after fulfilling all codal requirements during the financial year 2025-26.

The order states that to ensure continuity of the initiative, the DDO status of school heads will not be changed until June 30, 2026. In case of the retirement or death of a school head, the department will immediately nominate a new head to assume the responsibility.

Education Minister Shah said that school heads should consider the improvement of their institutions not only as a government duty but also as a social responsibility. He added that delegating financial authority to school heads would make the administrative system more efficient and responsive.

Officials said the list of designated DDOs has also been uploaded to the department's web portal, allowing district treasury offices to verify DDO charges directly and facilitating school administrations in financial matters.

The government has allocated Rs18.67 billion under the School Specific Budget initiative — the first time in the country that such financial authority has been transferred directly to schools. Details of the funds have also been published on the department's web portal.