Children from an estimated three million-strong nomadic and socially marginalised population in Sindh, who have been deprived of schooling for generations, are the focus of a major new governmental initiative to expand educational access through a non-formal approach.
According to an official information today, the Government of Sindh has announced the establishment of 1,420 new Non-Formal Education (NFE) centres across the province to address the pressing issue of out-of-school youngsters.
The expansion was formalised at a signing ceremony where the provincial government entered into agreements with more than 30 social organisations under a social partnership framework. The event was organised by the Directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education and attended by senior officials including Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, Secretary School Education Zahid Ali Abbasi, and representatives from partner groups.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister Shah stated that effective measures are being taken through public-private partnerships to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children, noting that approximately 2.5 million youngsters are currently not enrolled in schools across Pakistan. He positioned Sindh as a model province for promoting flexible learning, highlighting that a formal curriculum for non-formal education has been introduced for the first time.
The minister explained that the accelerated NFE programme allows children who could not enrol in school by the age of nine to complete their primary education within 24 months. “Many children are compelled to work or support their families, therefore the government has introduced an alternative and flexible education model that allows children to study at non-formal centres according to their convenience,” Shah noted. He emphasised the state”s responsibility to provide educational access and pointed out that poverty, social norms, and law and order conditions are significant factors contributing to the problem.
This new undertaking represents the second phase of the initiative. According to Secretary School Education Zahid Ali Abbasi, the first phase saw the creation of 500 NFE centres, which currently cater to more than 16,000 students. He observed that a majority of these learners are girls, for whom community-based schooling provides easier access.
Director of Literacy and Non-Formal Education, Abdul Jabbar Mari, confirmed that the 1,420 new, digitally monitored centres will be operated in collaboration with various NGOs and community bodies. The facilities will be established in the districts of Jamshoro, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, and Umerkot. Mari added that the government’s ultimate goal is to expand the network to 3,000 centres, which would help over 100,000 out-of-school children complete their education.
The event concluded with the formal signing of the agreements between the government and the partner organisations, cementing the collaborative effort to establish the new educational facilities.