United States Agency for International development (USAID) has approved a grant of $155 million aimed at promoting the education sector in the Pakistani province of Sindh, said Sindh Education Secretary Siddiq Memon, reports Daily Times.
Mr. Memon reportedly said that during a recently held meeting between Education Minister of the province Pir Mazharul Haq and US Consul General William Martin, the US side assured its support for the cause of education in the province.
According to the secretary, the USAID grant would be utilized for reconstructing the schools and providing furniture and other essential educational equipments in the flood-hit areas. The grant is aimed at improving the quality of education and enhancing the availability of educational assistance to the people in remote areas of Sindh Province, he said.
While highlighting the flaws in education policies, the education secretary said the previous governments had inducted teachers, in the education department, who had little interest in their work and caused a deteriorating impact on education system. He appealed to the civil society, parents and all sections of society to make concerted efforts for improvement in standard of education in the province. According to Mr. Memon, the current ratio of education in the province is 56 percent and this is much lower in the rural areas and far worse among girls. He appealed to all sections of the society to make sure that they not only get their girl children enrolled in schools but also ensure that they completed their education.
Memon said the provincial education department was facing financial constraints and it was due to concerted efforts and sincerity of purpose of education minister that the international agencies were convinced to support the provincial education department. In the past, the European Union has provided an assistance of 39 million euros while the World Bank has approved $700 million soft loans for the education department, he said. He added that though this assistance has helped the education department to develop better education infrastructure, but much more is needed to be done.
