ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (ABC): The European Union is disbursing €10 million, nearly PKR 2.2 billion to the Government of Sindh to strengthen the implementation of provincial education policies.
It is the second payment of a EUR 42 million grant made available through budget support by the European Union under the Development through Enhanced Education Programme (DEEP).
This direct financial support creates opportunities to accelerate access to quality education for all children in the Sindh province as a foundation for future training and skills development and engagement in productive employment, said a press release issued by EU Mission in Islamabad on Friday.
The programme fully aligns with the Sindh School Education Sector Plan & Roadmap 2019-2024, focusing on priority reform areas in governance, enrolment, and teaching quality. It added that UNICEF provides complementary technical assistance to strengthen the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department’s (SELD) responsive capacity and systems to plan, manage and deliver quality and equitable Education.
According to the press release, Sindh Minister of Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah highlighted, “Education continues to be one of the key priority areas for the Government of Sindh. We aim to improve access to equitable, inclusive, and quality education for all to realize their fullest potential and contribute to the development of society and economy, thus creating a sense of nationhood and inculcating values of tolerance, social justice, and democracy.
SELD has come a long way in remodeling the edifice of Education in collaboration with Donors, development partners, and civil society. The contribution of the European Union in the shape of Development through Enhanced Education with budgetary support allocation of 42 million Euros is quite commendable. This will help carry out the activities of Education Sector plan 2019-24 and bring forth the quality education in Sindh.”
“Education and learning are fundamental to development and growth. We welcome the latest reform implementation measures by the Government of Sindh; these include the updated school clustering policy and continuous professional development model for teachers as well as the increased digitalization of monitoring systems”, commented the Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, Dr. Riina Kionka.
“A lot, however, remains to be done with an estimated 6 million children who are still out of school, of which over half are girls. The European Union remains a committed partner to the Government of Sindh in improving education quality and ensuring access for all boys and girls in the province, it maintained.”
The European Union’s support for primary and secondary Education is a priority area under the European Union-Pakistan Strategic Engagement Plan, which serves as a guide for bilateral relations between the two sides and aims to enhance engagement further and work towards addressing emerging global challenges.