New EU technical assistance programme to improve equitable access to quality education in Sindh with UNICEF support
New EU technical assistance programme to improve equitable access to quality education in Sindh with UNICEF support
EUR €6.8 million grant from the European Union to help Sindh’s Education Department improve access to education with support from UNICEF
KARACHI, Pakistan, 11 March 2021 – Today Sindh’s School Education & Literacy Department launched the ‘Sindh Technical Assistance for Development through Enhanced Education Programme’ (STA-DEEP) funded with EUR €6.8 million by the European Union(EU) and support from UNICEF.
The programme aims at helping girls and boys living in Pakistan’s south-eastern Sindh province access quality education and acquire the skills they need to transition to higher education, vocational training and employment.
“An integrated Educational Data System enabling the officers and management of the School Education & Literacy Department to access the provincial Educational Data is the key for taking informed decisions for betterment of Education of the province & I am delighted that UNICEF and European Union are providing such technical assistance to the department. I am also glad that SE&LD is actively working on Clustering of Schools which will help in up gradation, enrollment of out of school children, and activation of School Management Committee (SMCs) at the Union Council level to play more proactive role,” said Mr. Saeed Ghani, Minister of Education and Literacy of Sindh.
Under the grant, UNICEF will provide technical assistance to the Departments it develops evidence-based annual planning and budgeting, as well as administrative and financial management systems. UNICEF will also help the Department improve of information systems and their use in education planning and service delivery at provincial and district levels; and strengthen the delivery of decentralized education services through school clustering to improve universal access to quality education, with a focus on girls.
UNICEF’s technical assistance is part of the delivery of the EU’s €50 million “Development through Enhanced Education Programme” (DEEP) budget support programme for the Government of Sindh for 2019-2022. DEEP aims to support the implementation of the Sindh Education Sector Plan 2019-2023. Its overall objective is to contribute towards universal access to quality education in Sindh, enabling young people to progress and engage in productive employment or higher/vocational education.
“An educated young generation is the basis for Pakistan to pursue a path of inclusive growth and development. The EU is committed to helping children, especially the most vulnerable, to receive an education that would enable them to follow their dreams and contribute to a better future for Pakistan,” said Ms. Androulla Kaminara, EU Ambassador to Pakistan.
“We hope that with our sustained support, working together with the Government of Sindh, we can bring about a lasting positive effect on the education system in Sindh ensuring boys and girls have access to quality education and enhancing the momentum for further reforms”.
The programme will help the province progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals related to education, such as ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, or achieving gender equality and empower all women and girls.
“UNICEF has a long-standing presence in Sindh, working in close cooperation with the government, in particular the School Education & Literacy Department. We are happy to continue this partnership by supporting the Department as it reforms its education sector based on evidence, thanks to generous funding from the European Union,” said Ms. Aida Girma, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.
“Every girl and boy has the right to education. This crucial investment will help promote access to equitable quality education for the next generation in Pakistan, especially girls.”
Nearly 23 million children aged 5-16 are not attending school in Pakistan, representing 44 per cent of the total population in this age group. In Sindh, 52 percent of the poorest children (58 percent girls) are out of school.
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About Sindh’s School Education & Literacy Department:
Education is one of the most important pillars of the Government of Sindh through which it enhances technical and professional skills of people so that they can play their due role in the development of country. The Sindh Education and Literacy Department was established with the aim of fulfilling the state's responsibility of providing basic education to its people. The government of Sindh stands committed to universalize education under the Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2013. Under the Act, the government's top priority is 'to provide for free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years
About the European Union:
In Pakistan, the EU is committed to a stable, democratic and pluralistic country that respects human rights and benefits from its full economic potential by supporting sustainable and inclusive development for all its citizens. The EU provides Pakistan with about €100 million annually in grants for development and cooperation. Among other issues, the EU supports Pakistan in its efforts to tackle poverty, increase education, promote good governance, human rights, rule of law and ensure sustainable management of natural resources. EU-funded projects cover all of Pakistan with a special focus on Sindh and Balochistan.
Find out more about our work here https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/pakistan/area/projects_en
About UNICEF: UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org. Follow UNICEF Pakistan onFacebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more information, please contact:
SE&LD contact
Head Office Address: School Education Department 1st. Floor, Tughlaq House Sindh Secretariat, Saddar Karachi.
Landline: (021)-99211225-7
Fax: (021)-34304440
Website: http://www.sindheducation.gov.pk/
Reform Support Unit, #47-E/1 - 48th Street, Block-6, PECHS, Nursery, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi.
Landline:(021)- 34320241-5
Website: https://rsu-sindh.gov.pk/
Catherine Weibel, UNICEF Pakistan, cweibel@unicef.org, +92 300 500 2592
Sana’a Zuberi, UNICEF Pakistan, szuberi@unicef.org, +92 332 8564 233