US CG, Sindh minister break ground for school construction in Karachi

Along with Sindh Education Minister Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar and Secretary of Education Abdul Aziz Uqaili, US Consul General in Karachi Grace Shelton and USAID Deputy Mission Director Denise Herbol broke ground for school construction in the city on Friday. 

Local government representatives, community leaders, teachers and students were also present on the occasion, said a press release issued by the US Consulate.

 These schools are being constructed with the support of the United States government through the Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP).  

“The United States government strongly supports education in Pakistan and we are proud to partner with the Sindh government on the construction of 106 schools throughout Sindh,” said Consul Grace Shelton at the ceremony.

Education Minister Dahar expressed his appreciation for the US government’s strong support for modernising education in the province. “Education is the utmost priority of the Sindh government and we are very grateful to USAID for helping us in education reforms, a need of the hour.”

The SBEP is constructing up to 106 modern school buildings in eight districts of Sindh. Currently, 12 schools are completed and inaugurated and 11 more are planned to be completed later this year. 

The project aims to increase and sustain student enrollment in primary, middle and secondary public schools in selected areas, with a special focus on bringing back children who have dropped out of schools. 

Besides construction, SBEP also support the government in piloting the reforms in education, community mobilisation, public-private partnerships and improving reading competencies of students in schools.