UK DFID keen to support education sector in Sindh

KARACHI: United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) has expressed keen interest to support the education sector in Sindh.

In a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House, the delegation of DFID headed by Ms Joanna Reid was briefed on the reforms in Sindh education sector.

Education Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Secretary Education Aziz Uqaili and Chief of RSU Faisal Uqaili were also present on this occasion.

Joanna appreciated the efforts of the Sindh government for improvement of education and assured them her support to further improve and strengthen the education sector.

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Murad said that his government had declared emergency in education sector and taken some drastic steps after which better results had started coming in.

He said that he was giving special attention to education and health sectors.

“Since a direction has been set for both the sectors under which administration and teaching cadres have been separated, school specific transfer/postings are made, audit system has also been developed and special focus was being given for teachers training to build their capacity,” he said.

He said that ratings of multilateral funding agencies for education sectors projects are getting better in recognition of continuous efforts towards improved financial management and internal controls.

“We have established an internal audit in finance as well as school education just to strengthen financial control and adherence to government rules and regulations,” he said and added SMS-based complaint system is also on the anvil.

Minister Education Jam Mehtab Dahar said that Directorate of Monitoring & Evaluation has been established. It is fully functional throughout Sindh with live IT-based dashboard, independent monitors, data centers and biometric system for monitoring over 45,000 schools from teachers’ attendance to all other key indicators, he said.

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He added that human resource Management Information System (MIS) has also been established. The school management committees have also been made functional.

Secretary Education Aziz Uqaili discussing the areas where assistance was required said that there was need of improving the existing school infrastructure through construction of additional classrooms and upgradation of primary schools to secondary.

He said that some basic facilities such as toilets, drinking water, boundary walls and solar-power systems were also required in most of the schools.

The secretary said that Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) was another area where DFID could extend its assistance. The Sindh government has an ECCE policy under which Regional Resource Centers and classes in all public and private schools are to be established and DFID could extend helping hand.

Murad said that the teachers recruitment policy of the government was transparent. The teaching staff from 2008 has been appointed through NTS and now “we have decided to recruit non-teaching staff through NTS also,” he said.