Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed his concerns regarding the 46 per cent dropout rate among students who complete their primary education due to the lack of middle schools in the area, therefore, he directed the school education department to introduce afternoon shifts for middle school classes at primary schools, aiming to address this problem.
The meeting was held at CM House, with Minister of Education Syed Sardar Shah, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, Secretary of School Education Zahid Abbasi, Chairman of P and D Najma Shah, Secretary of Finance Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary of Colleges Asif Ikram, and other concerned officers in attendance.
Minister of Education Syed Sardar Shah and Secretary of School Education Zahid Abbasi provided a detailed briefing to the Chief Minister. They reported that there are 16.89 million children aged five to 16 enrolled in the province, which includes 5.20 million in public schools and 4.01 million in private schools. Additionally, schools under the Sindh Education Foundation have 93,000 students, non-formal education serves 5.66 million children, and madrasas have 1.03 million students.
During the discussion, the Chief Minister pointed out two major challenges facing the School Education Department: enrolling 7.8 million out-of-school children and reducing the dropout rate, which currently stands at 46 per cent. He emphasised that these two challenges could only be addressed by strengthening both formal and non-formal education streams in terms of access, quality, and governance.
To a question, the CM was informed that there were 36300 primary schools and 4,600 post-primary/middle schools. The significant gap between the number of primary and post-primary schools contributes to the dropout rate. Mr Shah directed the education department to initiate post-primary schools during the second shift/afternoon shift in primary schools, with plans to upgrade them to the middle school level.
Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah mentioned that upgrading schools and adding more classrooms are necessary to enrol out-of-school children and decrease the dropout rate. In response, Murad Ali Shah said that he has allocated 74 schemes in the Annual Development Program (ADP) for constructing additional classrooms and 140 schemes for upgrading primary schools.
The Minister of Education provided a detailed briefing on plans to upgrade 2,000 schools over the next three years. Out of 19,808 schools damaged by floods, 4,039 have been targeted for reconstruction with a budget of Rs. 116 billion, with completion expected within three years. These schools will accommodate 40 per cent of enrolment. The remaining 16,253 flood-affected schools will be prioritized in the new ADP and various projects over the next three years.
To another question, the Chief Minister was informed that 643 schools are undergoing maintenance and repair with a budget of Rs. 3 billion. There are plans to transform the Maintenance and Repair (M and R) Model. The Chief Minister decided to convert the School Infrastructure Development (SID) Project into a company to enhance efficiency in carrying out M and R work. This company will also handle the procurement of revenue-generating components for schools, including furniture, laboratory equipment, computer lab equipment, and solar energy installations.
Murad Shah instructed the education department to convert the Sindh Textbook Board (STBB) into a company, restricting its role to book publication and distribution only. The responsibility for textbook development will be transferred to the Directorate of Curriculum, Assessment, and Research (DCCAR).
The Chief Minister also directed the Minister of Education to reform DCCAR by converting technical positions to market-based roles, bringing in efficient technical human resources.
He emphasized that private schools are significant stakeholders, catering to 40% of enrolment, and therefore must be properly regulated, monitored, and evaluated. Minister Sardar Shah informed the Chief Minister that the role of the Sindh Teachers Education Development Authority is being expanded to ensure the quality of private school teachers through continuous professional development and the introduction of teaching licenses for private school teachers.
Finally, Mr Shah approved the creation of inspector positions within the Directorate of Private Schools to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation, including the implementation of a 10% freeship policy in private schools and proper inspections.