A seminar in connection with the `Adopt a School Programme (AASP) was held at a local hotel on Tuesday under the auspices of the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF).
The topic of the moot was `Strengthening Public Schools – New Avenues in Public Private Partnership’. More than 150 participants attended the event.
The audience comprised government officials, industrial heads, education sector practitioners, policy makers, and representatives from the private sector including Rozgar Microfinance Bank, Naya Jeevan, HERA, Mahvesh and Jahangehir Siddiqui Foundation, PSO, Shell and Synergies who could be prospective school adopters.
The organisers said that the seminar was held to acknowledge AASP adopters’ efforts and to provide an interactive forum where adopters and government officials can highlight educational issues and seek resolution to the challenges faced in the implementation of the program.
They said that it also served to create awareness amongst potential adopters by sharing experiences of existing adopters. Former Governor Sindh Gen (Retd) Moinuddin Haider commended the dedication and untiring efforts of Prof. Anita Ghulam Ali, Managing Director of the Sindh Education Foundation, in improving the quality and outreach of education in Sindh.
He lauded the role the Adopt-a-School Programme has played in furthering the cause of education in Sindh and stated that he looked forward to its continuing success in the future.
Moinuddin Haider and Mashood Rizvi, Director British Council, stated that the herculean task of improving accessibility and quality of education in the province is difficult indeed and commended Prof.
Anita Ghulam Ali and SEF’s efforts in achieving remarkable results in the field of education.
Prof. Anita Ghulam Ali highlighted the AASP as one of SEF’s flagship initiative which has mobilized and facilitated private sector support for public school reform.
She went on to discuss the vision behind the Adopt-a-School Programme which aimed at increasing access to quality education facilities for the marginalized children and communities of Sindh.
Prof. Anita stated that to date more than 300 successful adoptions have been made and benefitted thousands of children belonging to marginalized areas.
She reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment in providing educational facilities conducive to learning, places where the practice of knowledge sharing can continue unhindered and unhampered for the betterment of the nation.
Aziz Kabani, Director SEF, stated that the AASP is a highly inclusive approach to revitalize government schools by involving in its campaign diverse segments of society i.e. concerned citizens/individuals, social agencies, multi-nationals, private sector and educationists.
He said that the adopters contribute through the donation of time, resources and privileges to give the marginalized children of the province, the seemingly simple privilege of quality education; an education that will give them hope of rising above their present distress.
Kabani went further to commend the efforts of the school adopters and the Foundation in furthering the education agenda in Sindh.
Ms. Ambreena Ahmed, Senior Manager, SEF, provided an overview of the Sindh Education Foundation introducing the interventions undertaken in the public, private and community schooling sectors and highlighted the Foundation’s progress spanning over two decades with the support of the Government of Sindh as well as other national and international institutions.
During the session a panel of esteemed persons, which in addition to General (Retd.) Moinuddin Haider and Mashood Rizvi included Mohammad Memon (Director IED), Farnaz Riaz (District Officer Education), Agha Shahid (Founding Member Progressive Education Network) and Abdul Wahid Uquaily (Head Friends and Family Association), were present to hold an interactive discussion where queries by the school adopters were discussed in an effort to find solutions to issues on the ground. The adopters were also given shields as tokens of appreciation for their hard work and commitment.
