Daily Times

KARACHI: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said that education is the top priority of his government and he is satisfied that the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) is working on this agenda.

He expressed these views while presiding over the SEF Board of Governors’ meeting on Friday.

Murad asked the SEF to restore 168 closed schools in the province and hoped that the SEF School at shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qaladar catering to street children would continue its operations in accordance with the plan.

Murad appreciated the fact that the foundation had undertaken a survey of 941 closed schools in Thatta, Badin, Jamshoro, Dadu and Sujawal districts and submitted a detailed plan to operationalise 168 of these schools, which were found to be viable on basis of demography. Over 35,000 students could have access to education in these remote areas, he was told.

He appreciated that a similar survey was being conducted in Mirpurkhas, Tando Mohammad Khan and Tando Allahyar to open closed schools and get over 25,000 out of school children enrolled. This strategy of identifying and operationalising closed schools would enable the government to enroll a large number of out of school students, he was told.

Earlier, the SEF Board discussed and approved partnership with Sindh Rural Support Organisation (SRSO) and Citizen Education Foundation allowing SEF to take over earlier OMV managed schools for provision of quality education in desert areas of Ghotki, Saleh pat and Nara on a sustained basis. The introduction of ICT and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, integrated curriculum and SEF secondary/high schools through SEF and issued instructions that necessary financing may be secured for such an important intervention. Murad agreed with the proposal that students studying in SEF-assisted and SELD run schools should gradually be acquainted with the concepts of ICT-based integrated curriculum.

The School Education Scholarship Programme for award of scholarship to 1,300 meritorious students of SEF assisted and SELD run schools, performed well in SEF and government administered assessments for getting post primary (grade six to 12 levels) education in quality institutions like Sukkur IBA University.

The collaboration with UNDP for education, employment and empowerment of youth through dedicated intervention is targeting nearly 15,000 youth, Murad was informed.

The chief minister approved revised budget estimates for 2017-18 [of Rs 6.225 billion] as well as estimated budget of Rs 9,597.72 million for 2018-19.

He reiterated that education was central to development and in this regard, the foundation had undertaken commendable efforts. These efforts need to continue in overall interest of communities and overall development in the province, he said.

Naheed Shah Durrani, the SEF managing director, later briefed the board saying that the foundation, during last few years, had not only expanded outreach to over 555,943 students through a network of 2,314 schools but also undertaken quality reforms, including introduction of Information and Communication Technology based teaching and learning.

Some major milestones included enhancing post primary school portfolio; introducing adolescent and adult learning and training programmes; undertaking intensive teacher trainings and instituting students assessments through third party.

Minister Education Jam Mehtab Dahar, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, MD SEF Naheed Shah, special secretary finance and the non-official members, including Dr Qazi Masood, Dr Muhammad Memon; Hussain Qamar Shah, deputy managing director, directors, Sindh Education Foundation and others attended the meeting.

Published in Daily Times, May 5^th 2018.