Alarming new data from the Annual School Census 2024-25 has revealed a stark gender disparity in the education sector of Larkana district, where girls have access to only 16 percent of the total schools and constitute just 33.5 percent of the teaching staff.
These figures were presented at a meeting held on Monday, organized by the “Coalition for Girls’ Education Financing Network Larkana,” in collaboration with the Thar Education Alliance and Malala Fund. The meeting brought together civil society representatives to advocate for a dedicated fund for girls’ education.
Bharat Kumar, Program Manager of the Thar Education Alliance, briefed the participants on the data from the Sindh Education Department. He revealed that out of the district’s 1,199 schools, only 192 are for girls. Furthermore, out of a total of 302,416 students, only 136,643 (45.2 percent) are female. Kumar stated that limited facilities and a severe shortage of female teachers are among the primary reasons for girls dropping out of school.
The event served as a platform to present a “Charter of Demand.” Educationist and Larkana civil society leader Junaid Ahmed Dahar, on behalf of the Education Financing Network, presented recommendations to improve educational opportunities and infrastructure for female students.
After detailed discussions, the civil society members finalized the recommendations, which will now be presented for consideration to the Government of Sindh, the Sindh Education Department, and the Finance Department.