Sardar Shah defends Sindh’s education record

Sardar Shah defends Sindh’s education record

KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah has said that the problem of out-of-school children exists across Pakistan, arguing that the issue should not be associated with Sindh alone.

Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Shah said the number of children who remain out of school is broadly comparable across the provinces. He claimed that Punjab alone has around 10 million out-of-school children, yet public attention often focuses disproportionately on Sindh.

“Every province has almost the same situation when it comes to out-of-school children,” Shah said, adding that the issue requires a nationwide response rather than criticism directed at one province.

The provincial education minister also highlighted what he described as major steps taken by Sindh to improve the teaching profession. He said Sindh became the first province in the country to make a teaching licence mandatory. According to Shah, the province also recruited around 97,000 teachers on merit after they successfully passed tests through a transparent recruitment process.

Shah further spoke about the condition of school buildings across Sindh. He said around 20,000 schools in the province had been in a severely damaged or dilapidated condition. Of these, the provincial government has managed to improve approximately 6,000 schools, while around 14,000 still require rehabilitation and reconstruction.

“We are improving schools wherever we get the opportunity,” Shah said.

The minister urged critics to acknowledge the challenges faced by the provincial government and its efforts to address them. He said constructive support was welcome, but unnecessary criticism would not help resolve the education crisis.

“You may not support us, and that is fine, but at least do not mock our efforts,” Shah said.

Shah maintained that improving education infrastructure, increasing school enrolment and strengthening the teaching system require sustained efforts and cooperation among all stakeholders. He stressed that the challenge of out-of-school children is a national issue and should be addressed through coordinated measures across the country.