From Reform to Results: How Sindh Is Reshaping Public Education

By Dr Abdul Fatah, Dadu Sindh

Artificial intelligence is forcing countries to reconsider what education should achieve. Memorising information is no longer enough. Students must learn to question, analyse, solve problems and apply knowledge to unfamiliar situations. For Pakistan, this transition is particularly important given persistent challenges involving educational access, unequal opportunities and learning quality.

Yet educational transformation does not begin with artificial intelligence. It begins with the institutions that educate children, the teachers who guide them and the policies that determine how schools operate.

In Sindh, a series of reforms is addressing these fundamental questions. From decentralising school budgets to strengthening teacher professionalism, expanding non-formal education and promoting scientific creativity, the province is pursuing changes that deserve consideration in the broader national debate about education. Their significance lies not simply in announcing policies but in their potential to change how public education functions.

One longstanding difficulty facing public schools has been the distance between local needs and administrative decision-making. A school may require urgent repairs, additional furniture, improved sanitation or essential learning materials, yet addressing these needs can involve lengthy administrative procedures.

Sindh’s School-Specific Budget (SSB) initiative seeks to address this problem by giving schools greater control over designated funds. In the 2025–26 financial year, approximately Rs18.67 billion was allocated to 34,106 schools through this initiative. Budget information made available online allows allocations to be examined at different administrative levels, strengthening opportunities for public scrutiny.

The reform connects financial authority with responsibility at the school level. Headteachers are better positioned to identify immediate institutional requirements than officials working several administrative levels away. When combined with transparent procurement, regular audits and community oversight, decentralised funding can make school management more responsive.

The proposed allocation for 2026–27 has increased to Rs22.64 billion, approximately 21 per cent above the previous allocation. This expansion signals continued investment in school-level management. Its ultimate success, however, must be measured through improvements in facilities, effective expenditure and better learning environments. Public investment matters most when its benefits become visible to students and communities.

Teacher quality is equally important. Buildings, textbooks and technology cannot independently guarantee educational progress; their value depends substantially on the quality of instruction. Sindh’s Teaching Licence Policy represents an effort to establish stronger professional standards for recruitment and teaching competence.

By linking recruitment with demonstrated professional knowledge, the policy seeks to strengthen the relationship between teacher qualifications and classroom performance. Its long-term value will depend on fair assessments, effective teacher preparation, mentoring and opportunities for continuous professional development. Licensing should not become another administrative requirement; it should help ensure that teachers receive the preparation and support necessary to improve student learning.

International interest in Sindh’s teaching-licensing experience also presents an opportunity for professional exchange. Such attention is encouraging, but the decisive measure remains classroom performance. Better teaching practices, stronger foundational skills and improved student achievement must ultimately demonstrate the policy’s effectiveness.

Educational progress also requires reaching children who cannot access conventional classrooms. Poverty, distance, family responsibilities and interrupted schooling can prevent children from attending regular schools. Sindh’s non-formal education programme offers an alternative pathway for learners who might otherwise remain excluded.

According to figures reported by the provincial education department in October 2026, approximately 100,000 out-of-school children had been connected with educational opportunities through non-formal initiatives since April 2025. Digital resources, including tablets distributed to facilitators, are intended to support teaching, learning materials and programme monitoring.

These interventions recognise that one educational model cannot accommodate every learner. Flexible learning arrangements can help children develop essential literacy and numeracy skills while creating opportunities to progress towards recognised qualifications and formal education. However, enrolment figures alone cannot establish success. Attendance, retention, reading ability, mathematical competence and progression must also be monitored to determine whether children are learning effectively.

Another encouraging development is the growing emphasis on scientific creativity and project-based learning. The debate about artificial intelligence raises a fundamental question: are students being prepared merely to reproduce information or to apply knowledge independently?

Scientific projects, experimentation and teamwork help students connect classroom concepts with practical problems. Sindh’s participation in the Islamabad Science Festival 2026 demonstrated the potential of public-school students to compete nationally. Four government schools from the province participated, with three securing leading positions, including joint first-runner-up and second-runner-up honours.

The achievement challenges the assumption that scientific ability belongs exclusively to expensive private institutions or privileged urban communities. Students from government schools, including those in less advantaged districts, can demonstrate creativity and technical understanding when given appropriate guidance and opportunities.

The Sindh STREAM Journey 2026–27 seeks to extend these opportunities through science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and mathematics. Its emphasis on student projects encourages experimentation, interdisciplinary learning and problem-solving. These capabilities are increasingly valuable in an economy where artificial intelligence can generate information rapidly but still requires human judgment, critical evaluation and responsible application.

Nevertheless, individual initiatives must form part of a coherent education strategy. School budgets should improve facilities, teacher licensing should strengthen instruction, non-formal education should deliver measurable learning and scientific programmes should develop capabilities that extend beyond competitions. Reliable data, independent evaluation and transparent reporting are essential to determine which interventions work and where improvements are needed.

The same principle applies to higher education. Universities must encourage research, academic independence, interdisciplinary collaboration and lifelong learning. As technology changes professional requirements, qualifications should be complemented by opportunities to acquire new skills throughout working life. School education, technical training and universities must therefore operate as connected parts of a wider learning system.

Artificial intelligence can support this transformation, but technology cannot compensate for weak foundations. Without competent teachers, adequate literacy and numeracy, and the ability to evaluate information critically, digital tools risk reproducing existing educational weaknesses in new forms. With these foundations in place, technology can expand access to knowledge, support teachers and help students learn more effectively.

Sindh’s education reforms provide practical starting points for addressing longstanding institutional challenges. School-level financial autonomy, professional teacher licensing, alternative learning pathways and scientific engagement each address a different dimension of educational development. Their collective value will depend on consistent implementation, adequate resources and a willingness to evaluate results honestly.

Pakistan does not need to choose between acknowledging its educational challenges and recognising meaningful progress. Both realities can coexist. Criticism identifies unfinished work, while evidence of progress helps policymakers understand which approaches deserve strengthening and expansion.

Ultimately, education is not about producing certificates, completing administrative procedures or simply teaching students to use the latest technology. It is about developing individuals who can think independently, contribute productively and continue learning throughout their lives.

Sindh’s ongoing initiatives offer an opportunity to move closer to that objective. Sustained investment, accountable institutions and a clear focus on student achievement will determine whether these reforms deliver lasting benefits. The real measure of success is straightforward: better teaching, stronger learning and greater opportunities for every child.