KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday called on private organisations and individuals to adopt schools under the Accelerated Digital Learning Programme (ADLP), pledging that the government would match any contribution by establishing another school bearing the donor’s name. The initiative aims to extend quality education to underserved and out-of-school children across the province.
The ADLP, launched in August 2023, leverages digital tools to deliver education through “Micro Schools” for out-of-school children and digital classrooms for students with flexible learning access. In Phase II, the programme plans to establish 200 new Micro Schools over the next two fiscal years, providing digital learning opportunities for approximately 30,000 children.
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At the launching ceremony held at the CM House, the chief minister inaugurated 100 new Micro Schools. The event was attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, Education Secretary Zahid Abbasi, SEF Managing Director Ganhwar Leghari, and representatives from Teach the World Foundation among others. CM Murad highlighted that approximately seven million children in Sindh remain out of school, underscoring the importance of expanding access to education.
Teach the World Foundation, a partner in the initiative, uses a game-based curriculum delivered on tablets to address teacher shortages and the lack of schools. Shafiq Khan, the foundation’s CEO, noted that their Micro School model can be established quickly at low cost, and with government support, they have launched 125 digital schools in under 18 months.
According to an independent midterm evaluation, the pilot programme has already enrolled over 11,000 children across 100 Micro Schools and 25 in-school digital classrooms. The evaluation noted significant improvements in foundational learning, with girls outperforming boys, demonstrating the programme’s positive impact on gender equity.
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