Syed Sardar Ali Shah, Sindh minister for education Sindh, has emphasized the critical need for the consolidation of data from all Islamic countries to effectively address country-specific issues. He highlighted that without comprehensive data, efforts to improve education systems will not be fully effective.
Shah’s remarks were made during the High-level Ministerial Dialogue organised by the Islamic Countries Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in London, following the Education World Forum. The dialogue was a precursor to the upcoming ‘Transforming Education: Pathways to ICESCO Education Minister Conference’ scheduled for October in Muscat.
During his address, Minister Shah underscored the urgent educational challenges facing Pakistan, particularly the Sindh province, which currently has 4.1 million out-of-school children. He stressed that Pakistan is in an educational emergency, exacerbated by catastrophic floods that have partially or fully affected 19,000 schools, severely impacting student enrollment and retention rates.
He also expressed his deepest grief over the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, reiterating Pakistan’s solidarity with them. In addition to highlighting these challenges, Minister Shah called for the introduction of educational exchange programmes among ICESCO member countries to foster experiential learning and collaboration.
The dialogue saw the participation of 120 ministers from 114 countries, all gathered to discuss and develop strategies for improving education systems worldwide. The Education World Forum 2024, where this dialogue took place, centered around the theme: “Encouraging AI understanding, building human relationships and resilience, and accelerating climate action. How should we prioritize policy and implementation for Stronger, Bolder, Better, Education?”