“In this country we’re not even counted based on accurate data, let alone having the opportunity to list our issues,” lamented Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah during a youth conference on February 1.
Titled ‘Challenges and Solutions for 21st Century Youth’, the conference was organised by the provincial sports & youth affairs department. Shah was speaking during a session on gaps in the education system. The panel also included journalists, intellectuals and Indus Resource Centre Executive Director Sadiqa Salahuddin.
Various stakeholders agreed that the concept of education, both in its creation and utilisation, should be viewed as a means of overall protection, as this approach would help define a path for the youth and foster social development.
Shah said: “Education instils a sense of protection. We want to make education a source of security for everyone. When our youth feel secure, only then will they rise above all forms of discrimination and care for the protection of others as well.”
He said that the root cause of the challenges faced by the education sector lies in the outdated policies of the state, where education is never truly prioritised. “During the pro-democracy movements, there were deliberate attempts to destroy Sindh’s education system. Even today we’re fighting for constitutional rights,” he lamented.
“At provincial level, 92 percent of the education budget is spent on salaries and operations, while only two percent is allocated for development schemes. As a minister, I have never hidden our shortcomings. We all need to play our part at societal level.”
Speaking about population growth, he said that there is a lack of seriousness at societal level. Despite the constitutional promise of free basic education, 25 million children are currently paying for their education, and almost the same number are out of school, he added.
“Due to the effects of climate change, rains and floods in Sindh have destroyed 20,000 schools. The federal government has agreed to assist in school rehabilitation after three years, through which 4,000 schools are being restored. The federation must enhance cooperation with the provinces at the state level.”
He emphasised that Sindh has laid the foundation for several educational reforms. “For the first time in Sindh, we’ve implemented a teaching licence policy, and recruited over 60,000 teachers purely on merit. To keep pace with modern times, we’ve introduced technical education alongside the traditional system.”
He said the government is also establishing 3,000 centres to provide non-formal, technical and vocational education to out-of-school children. Regarding curriculum reforms, he announced that the government is collaborating with civil society to establish a curriculum council to develop content that enhances children’s learning abilities.
Sadiqa said that in Sindh daughters are well-protected, and there is no discrimination in education between sons and daughters. “However, the sense of protection needs to be further promoted. Parents want to educate their children, and better results can be achieved by minimising resource misuse and ensuring accountability.”
Published in News Daily on 02-February-2025.