Sindh govt hands over 13 USAID-built schools to private parties for operation

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has expressed his appreciation for the continued support of the US government for modernising education in the province, and acknowledged that the USAID-funded Sindh Basic Education Programme (SBEP) has been a successful initiative, which is breaking new grounds and setting new standards.

This he stated while speaking at a meeting held at the CM House on Monday to witness the signing ceremony of concession agreements between the Sindh government and education management organisations (EMOs).

The ceremony was also attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, United States Consul General Mark Stroh and other officials from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

These agreements have been inked to outsource the operational management of 32 schools, including 13 USAID-constructed schools, to the private sector EMOs. They schools have been constructed under the USAID’s Sindh Basic Education Programme.

On behalf of the Sindh government, Sindh School Education Secretary Akbar Laghari and office-bearers from three EMOs -- Sindh Madressah-tul-Islam Board (SMB), Dare-e-Arqam Schools (Pvt.) Ltd. and MDZed (Pvt.) Ltd -- signed the agreements to manage these schools for a period of 10 years.

Under these agreements, the SMB will manage four newly constructed schools through USAID support and 10 other selected government schools in Karachi’s Malir and West districts. The Dare-e-Arqam Schools (Pvt) Ltd. will manage four newly constructed schools and four grouped schools in District Qambar Shahdadkot, and MDZed (Pvt) Ltd. will manage five newly built schools and five other Sindh government schools in Kashmore and Jacobabad districts.

The US government through USAID is contributing $159.2 million for the SBEP, while the provincial government is also providing a $10 million share. The project is aimed at increasing and sustaining the enrolment of young students by developing a conducive learning environment in Sindh government’s schools in the selected areas of the province, with a special focus on bringing back girls who have dropped out of schools.

In addition to constructing schools, the SBEP also strengthens the government’s broader Sindh Education Reform Programme by supporting the government’s policy of consolidating, merging, and upgrading schools in the targeted districts, strengthening community engagement, fostering public-private partnerships and improving reading competencies of young students.

“The Sindh Basic Education Programme is helping to improve the quality of the teaching and learning process and is increasing equitable access to safe learning opportunities for children, especially the girls,” said US Consul General Mark Stroh while addressing the audience during the event.

He also reaffirmed the US government’s commitment to support key facets of basic education in Pakistan. SBEP supports the reconstruction of 106 Sindh government schools affected by the catastrophic 2010 floods. These 106 state-of-the-art school buildings are being reconstructed in seven districts of northern Sindh (Dadu, Jacobabad, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Kashmore, Khairpur, Larkana, and Sukkur) and three selected districts of Karachi Division (Malir, West and South).

The reconstructed schools along with a group of other government schools are being handed over to the EMOs for improved operational efficiency. With the signing of these concession agreements, the operational management of 81 SBEP-USAID reconstructed schools along with a group of 90 selected government schools, stands outsourced to 10 EMOs. The construction of the remaining 25 schools is in process and is at different stages of completion.