KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, on Tuesday, presided over an important meeting regarding bringing back 4.1 million out-of-school children to schools.
He further directed the School Education Department to implement a policy of gradually upgrading all primary schools to post-primary schools and develop a connection with cluster schools to retain children and prevent the dropout ratio from increasing.
The meeting was held at the CM House and was attended by Minister of Education Syed Sardar Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, Secretary of School Education Zahid Abbasi, and other concerned officers.
The meeting, attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, Secretary of School Education Zahid Abbasi, and other concerned officials, underscored the severity of the situation.
The Chief Minister referred to a report by the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) highlighting that Pakistan has approximately 26.2 million out-of-school children, with Sindh accounting for 7.63 million. Minister Sardar Shah presented updated figures from the Federal Ministry of Education, indicating that Sindh alone harbours 4.1 million out-of-school children.
Breaking down the statistics, Minister Shah revealed that out of a total of 14,208,257 children in Sindh, around 10,204,647 were enrolled in various educational institutions, leaving a staggering 4.1 million children out of school. He further detailed that efforts were being made to cater to educational needs across different platforms, including government schools, private institutions, Madrasahs, and the Sindh Education Foundation.
Chief Minister Shah highlighted the findings of a UNICEF study conducted in 2019, which identified multiple reasons behind children’s absence from school. These included economic hardships, lack of access to schools, distance, gender disparities, and cultural barriers. Minister Sardar Shah pointed out the significant dropout rate at the post-primary level, emphasizing the urgent need to bridge the gap between primary and post-primary education.
To address these challenges, Chief Minister Shah approved a policy to upgrade primary schools to post-primary level gradually. Additionally, measures to establish linkages with cluster schools and provide non-formal education opportunities were emphasized. The government also aims to establish a dedicated authority for non-formal education to better address the educational needs of marginalized children.
The Chief Minister’s proactive stance underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the education crisis and ensuring inclusive access to quality education for all children in Sindh.
