CM Murad Ali Shah review SEF, TCF & School education partnership for expanding access to quality education

CM Murad Ali Shah review SEF, TCF & School education partnership for expanding access to quality education

KARACHI (Oct 27): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a meeting to review the implementation status of the tripartite agreement between the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), The Citizens Foundation (TCF), and the School Education & Literacy Department (SE&LD) to expand access to quality education across Sindh using SEF’s Public-Private Partnership model.

The meeting, held at the CM House, was attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, Secretary School Education Zahid Abbasi, MD SEF Ganhwar Leghari, Mushtaq Chhapra, Ahsan Saleem and Zia Akhatar Abbas of TCF, among others.

The partnership, 2019 to 2029, aims to expand access to quality education across Sindh using SEF’s Public-Private Partnership model. Through this arrangement, SEF is engaging TCF to establish and manage up to 500 new schools and to rehabilitate and operate selected dysfunctional, abandoned, or closed schools from both the School Education & Literacy Department and SEF through a management contract.

This partnership operates under the Foundation Assisted Schools (FAS) model, with a revised subsidy framework: TCF receives a basic per-child subsidy, plus an additional Rs. 200 per student for teacher training and textbooks.

The collaboration is intended to ensure sustainable school operations, improve educational quality, and expand learning opportunities for underserved communities in Sindh.

MD SEF Ganhwar Leghari informed the chief minister that TCF has established 98 schools so far under the partnership in districts including Badin, Dadu, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Korangi, Malir, Kashmore, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Shikarpur, and Sujawal. TCF is to establish a total of 500 schools by June 2029, following a phased plan.

The Chief Minister reviewed proposals from MD SEF Ganhwar Leghari, including adjusting the per-child monthly subsidy to an average of Rs. 2,500, with annual increases aligned with inflation as notified by the government. The SEF Executive and Finance Committee has already discussed the matter, emphasising the need for consistent subsidy structures across the FAS portfolio to maintain uniformity.

It was proposed that approval for new TCF school locations should be based on population size and unmet educational needs within a catchment area, rather than proximity to existing government schools.

The Chief Minister commended SEF and TCF for their efforts to advance access to quality education and recognised their contribution to strengthening Sindh’s education system. He directed the relevant departments to carefully review the proposals and submit recommendations for further consideration and decisions.

The meeting concluded by reaffirming the Government of Sindh’s commitment to improving educational opportunities through effective public-private partnerships and ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all children across the province.