Sindh Chief Minister leads initiative to tackle education crisis

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, chaired a crucial meeting to discuss the pressing issue of bringing back 4.1 million out-of-school children in the province. The meeting, attended by key officials including Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, focused on implementing strategies to reduce the alarming number of children deprived of education in Sindh.

According to a report by the Pakistan Institute of Education, there are a staggering 26.2 million out-of-school children in Pakistan, with Sindh accounting for 7.63 million of them. Minister Sardar Shah revealed that out of the total 14,208,257 children in Sindh, 4.1 million are currently out of school.

The meeting highlighted various reasons for children not attending school, such as poverty, lack of access to schools, and cultural barriers. To combat this issue, the Chief Minister approved a policy to upgrade primary schools to post-primary schools gradually. Additionally, efforts will be made to establish connections with cluster schools to retain students and prevent dropouts.

Education Minister Sardar Shah emphasized the importance of providing non-formal education opportunities to children aged 9 to 16. He suggested utilizing Accelerated Learning Programs to integrate non-formal education into the mainstream. However, resources for non-formal education were deemed insufficient, prompting the government to consider establishing a dedicated Authority for non-formal education.

The Chief Minister also addressed the issue of damaged schools, with 19,806 schools reported as damaged, requiring rehabilitation. To address this, the government plans to seek financial support for upgrading schools, rehabilitating flood-affected schools, and establishing more non-formal literacy centers across all districts.

The Sindh government's proactive approach towards addressing the out-of-school children crisis reflects a commitment to improving educational opportunities for all children in the province. By implementing policies to upgrade schools, provide non-formal education, and rehabilitate damaged educational institutions, the government aims to create a more inclusive and accessible education system for the youth of Sindh.