The School Education & Literacy Department (SELD), Government of Sindh, in collaboration with UNICEF, successfully launched the Enrollment and Retention Drive 2026-27 at Church Mission School, following established standard operating procedures.
The launch event was attended by key dignitaries, including Secretary SELD Mr. Zahid Ali Abbasi; Dr. Junaid Hameed Samo, Chief Program Manager, Reform Support Unit (RSU); Mr. Prem Bahadur Chand, Chief Field Officer, UNICEF Sindh; and Mr. Muhammad Iqbal Qureshi from the Pakistan Rotary Literacy Mission, M. Ali Haider Deputy Governer Rotary. Representatives from Muslim Hands and National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), along with development partners, academia, civil society, and senior officials from various SELD wings, including Directors and District Education Officers (DEOs), also participated.
Mr. Elnur Aliyev joined the session virtually and presented a detailed briefing titled “Accelerating Enrollment and Retention Outcomes: SBC Evidence, Insights, and Strategic Priorities (2026-27)”, highlighting key strategies to improve enrollment and retention outcomes across Sindh.
A representative from NCHD shared ongoing initiatives focused on strengthening the capacity of education officials and School Management Committees (SMCs), with particular emphasis on gender-sensitive social and behavioral change approaches to support out-of-school children and adolescents (OOSC/A), especially in Sujawal district.
On this occasion, SELD, through the Reform Support Unit and with support from Rotary International, formalized a Letter of Understanding (LoU) to establish two model education clusters-one in Umerkot and another in Karachi Keamari. These clusters aim to achieve zero out-of-school children in the targeted areas. This initiative underscores the Government of Sindh’s strong commitment to inclusive and equitable education, ensuring that every child is enrolled, retained, and provided with quality learning opportunities across the province.