Out-of-school children: Sindh govt launches non-formal education initiative

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Education and Mines & Minerals, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, said that under the non-formal education strategy, out-of-school children would be provided with the opportunity to complete their education in a short period, while vocational education would also be provided during this time. 

In this regard, a Non-Formal Education Authority will be established in Sindh, which will be operated in collaboration with UNICEF and through public-private partnerships. 

He made these remarks while presiding over a meeting held in Karachi on Wednesday, attended by Education Secretary Sindh Zahid Ali Abbasi, and other officials.

Provincial Education Minister Shah stated that under the non-formal education strategy, a child who drops out of school will be able to complete education up to the eighth grade within four years, and with the help of this strategy, over 2 million additional children in Sindh will be able to receive education in the coming four years. 

He said that Sindh is the only province in Pakistan that has not only developed a curriculum for non-formal education but has also arranged course work. 

He stated that non-formal education centres will be established in areas where the number of out-of-school children is high for the convenience of children who drop out of school. 

The minister highlighted that the biggest challenge after primary education is dropout, keeping this in view, primary schools will be upgraded.

The provincial education minister said that there is also a need to pay more attention to the STEM education system in schools. 

"We need to focus on teaching subjects like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to children. In this regard, it is also necessary to organise science exhibitions to generate interest among children," he added.