Daily Times

LARKANA: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) deputy mission director for Sindh and Balochistan, John Smith-Sreen and Sindh interim education minister Dr Saadia Virk Rizvi on Thursday inaugurated a newly constructed Government High School Vikya Sangi funded by USAID.

Reportedly, notables, community elders, teachers, students and their present were present on the occasion.

The building has been constructed as part of the Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP), a five year initiative worth $155 million funded-by USAID to support Government of Sindh in increasing and sustaining the enrollment of children in primary, middle and secondary schools.

The Government of Sindh would contribute $10million to enhance quality of education for the children of Sindh.

In his talk during the inauguration, Smith-Sreen said “US is proud to partner with the government of Sindh in the joint initiative of ‘promoting education for all’. We, along with our partners from the School Education and Literacy Department, aim to improve quality and accessibility of education. The SBEP has proved beneficial to improve the quality of teaching and provided increased access to safe learning opportunities for the students, particularly girls.”

Meanwhile, Dr Saadia Rizvi expressed her gratitude to USAID, SBEP and the government of US for upgrading and facilitating education in Sindh province.

USAID’s SBEP is constructing 106 school buildings in seven districts of northern Sindh and five towns of Karachi those are equipped with computers, modern gadgets and instruments.

34 schools have been constructed while 72 are under construction.

The programme offers opportunity for those children who have dropped out of school.

SBEP also supports government’s reforms in education, community mobilisation, public-private partnerships, and improving reading competencies of students in schools.

Published in Daily Times, June 29^th 2018.