Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), a semi-autonomous organisation, was established under the Sindh Education Foundation Act 1992 to enhance the education system with the collaboration of the Sindh Government.
Today, the foundation has extended several components such SAS, (Sef Assisted Schools), ESSP (Existing Schools Support Program), SMHS, (Sef Middle/High Schools) and AALTP (Adult and Adolescent Training Program). There are more than 1800 schools with an enrollment of more than 450000 students across the province who are getting free of cost quality education and free of cost Oxford and STBB books.
SEF’s schools are purely subsidy based. In general, the schools are opened where there is no government school or with at least 1 to 1.5 Km distance from the government schools with at least 100 strength of children to be enrolled. There is a prescribed way of selecting schools. Any graduate holder who possesses the abilities to run schools may apply for the schools. Additionally, non-profit organisations are also preferred for schools. An amount of 700/child subsidy is paid to the entrepreneur/ operator for primary level (PPRS, SAS and ESSP) whereas 1000/child subsidy and 1200/ child subsidy is paid for middle and high schools on monthly basis respectively. Advance subsidy for the period of 3 months and rehabilitation cost is also paid to the operator for schools which may vary from program to program. An operator has to run schools and fulfil all the needs of schools from the subsidy, the hiring of qualified teaching staff and their salaries to school administration cost.
SEF has introduced e-learning system for the students from far-flung areas by launching INSTAL Program. The students can now easily access the modern learning technics by operating tablets in which different teaching and learning programs and activities are designed.
“Teach for Change” an innovative program has been initiated in SEF Schools in which professional engagement of fresh, qualified and motivated youth have been hired to bring about a change in the quality of teaching-learning process in the schools through subject-specific teaching support in Mathematics, Science and English, as well as mentoring of teachers with an overarching objective of school improvement. Its main objective is “Teaching Support Associates” in the Teach for Change initiative work at the Foundation Assisted Schools in a cooperative and collaborative manner both with the management as well as the teaching faculty and help raise the standard of education in accordance with the overall vision of the Foundation and the Government of Sindh.
The Sindh Education Foundation had also initiated its scholarship program “Sindh School Education Scholarship Program” (SSESP) in 2017 to honour and to encourage talented students of Sindh Province with an objective to link them with quality institutions across Pakistan to pursue their post-primary education up-to higher secondary level.
SSESP is a fully-funded scholarship program running under School Education and Literacy Department Government of Sindh (SE&LD) and managed by Sindh Education Foundation, Government of Sindh. The scholarship program aims to encourage meritorious students academically and socially to find the best opportunities for future success and skilled with the visionary practices, which can help to create their own paths. An assessment test is conducted in SEF and government schools by the third party throughout the province for primary and elementary level students. The qualified students are bestowed with fully-funded scholarships in well-known educational of Pakistan such as Dr Adul Qadeer Khan Schooling System Islamabad, IBA schools and colleges throughout the Sindh Province and NJV High School Karachi. The students are facilitated with all required books, uniforms, food and hosteling till the completion of the intermediate degree.
SEF has played a much-appreciated role for the betterment of education in the far-flung areas of Sindh especially in desert areas, Kachho and Kohistan within its limited sources. The foundation has made it possible to get an easy, free of cost and quality education for the children of remote areas. Most of the students belonging to poor families are today studying in well-reputed educational institutes of Pakistan. In marginalized areas where people were unaware of modern technology, e-learning system and usage of tablets has brought a magnificent change. Sindh Government should learn from SEF’s model to run the schools, training system e-learning, scholarship programs and SEF’s committed team. If all the components are implied in government schools, our education system may develop much better than it exists.
ALI GUL LEGHARI,
Johi.