Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday applauded the partnership between non-profit organizations and the government in improving education for children from underprivileged communities through modern digital learning initiatives.
The Chief Minister made these remarks during visits to schools operated by NGOs in Korangi, in collaboration with the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF). His first stop was at the Green Crescent Trust (GCT) school in Bilal Colony, which provides education to 559 children from low-income families.
The Green Crescent Trust is offering classes from preschool to grade eight. GCT principal Irum Fatima highlighted the pressing issue of high demand, with over 1,000 eligible children unable to enroll due to limited capacity. CM Shah assured his support for the school’s expansion and directed Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah to conduct regular inspections of SEF-affiliated schools.
The GCT has been instrumental in enrolling out-of-school children for the past 30 years, operating 170 charitable schools across Sindh. Nineteen of these schools, including 12 in Karachi, are affiliated with the SEF, collectively educating over 32,800 students.
CM Shah also visited the Digital Micro School in Awami Colony, where 100 students engage in interactive learning using tablets for subjects like English and Mathematics. Impressed by the innovative model, the Chief Minister expressed interest in replicating similar approaches in other schools, contingent on successful outcomes.
During his visit, CM Shah interacted with families of enrolled students, most of whom are laborers, emphasizing the transformative role of education in improving living standards. Later, in a meeting, he highlighted the need to address the 46% dropout rate among primary school graduates, often caused by the absence of middle schools.
To address this, he instructed the education department to introduce middle school classes in afternoon shifts at primary schools. Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah outlined a plan to upgrade 2,000 schools within the next three years.
He reported that 4,039 of the 19,808 flood-damaged schools are undergoing reconstruction, with a budget of Rs. 116 billion aiming to restore 40% of affected enrollments. Additionally, CM Shah approved transforming the School Infrastructure Development Project into a dedicated company to improve efficiency in maintenance and resource management.
