Career counselling wing to be established in Sindh: CS

The chief secretary of Sindh, Syed Asif Hyder Shah, presided over a meeting of the College Education Department on Thursday and announced a career counselling wing would be set up in the province.

Officials said the meeting was attended by Secretary College Education Asif Ikram, Secretary Services Ghulam Ali Brahmani, Secretary Implementation and Coordination Shahab Qamar Ansari, and other senior officials of the College Education Department.

The meeting reviewed progress on development projects, ongoing schemes, future initiatives, and administrative matters aimed at modernizing the education sector in Sindh.

During a briefing, the college education informed the meeting that 115 development schemes are underway, with a total budget of Rs28,749 million allocated to enhance educational infrastructure across the province. The projects include the construction of new college buildings in rural and underserved areas, providing modern educational facilities to thousands of students.

Moreover, Rs1 billion has been earmarked for upgrading science laboratories in 30 colleges and establishing state-of-the-art libraries in 20 institutions. Additionally, Rs1.5 billion has been allocated for equipping colleges with IT facilities and smart classrooms, and each college will also receive five computers to enhance digital learning opportunities for students.

CS Syed Asif Hyder Shah stated that to nurture the creative and intellectual potential of students, each Sindh college will receive Rs0.5 million for science exhibitions, student welfare programmes and other co-curricular activities. He emphasized that this initiative will play a vital role in encouraging students and providing them with opportunities to showcase their talents. It was also reported during the meeting that recommendations for the appointment of 1,659 lecturers, who passed the Sindh Public Service Commission examination, have been received.

The CS directed the secretary colleges to immediately issue offer letters to all selected candidates to address the shortage of teaching staff in colleges. The induction of these lecturers will significantly improve the quality of education in institutions across Sindh.

He further directed the establishment of a career counselling wing within the department to provide better guidance to students regarding career choices. He stated that this wing will conduct workshops and seminars in colleges to create awareness about emerging fields and admission opportunities at leading universities.

This initiative is a critical step towards preparing students for the professional demands of the future. It was also shared during the meeting that BS programmes have been introduced in 43 colleges across the province, while 17 colleges have received affiliation approvals from recognized universities. Additionally, the conversion of the Government College of Education, Federal B. Area, into a degree-awarding institute was announced, with Rs300 million allocated for the project. The establishment of the College Welfare Endowment Fund was also highlighted as an important measure to ensure sustainable academic and infrastructural improvements in the education sector.

Syed Asif Hyder Shah emphasized the timely completion of all development projects and stressed the importance of transparency and accountability in their execution. He reiterated that the benefits of these initiatives should directly reach students and educational institutions. He concluded by affirming the Sindh government’s commitment to establishing a progressive and inclusive education system that provides equal access to quality education for all students.