Under initiatives funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) since 2013, schools in Pakistan’s Sindh province have been constructed and reorganized to improve the education system for students, teachers and communities. These efforts address a range of issues, including student nutrition, learning environments and community engagement in school management. Newly constructed Government Modern High School in Sukkur was inaugurated in June.
USAID Director for Sindh and Balochistan Michael Hryshchyshyn and Secretary of the Government of Sindh’s School Education and Literacy Department (SELD) Qazi Shahid Pervez attended the school inauguration alongside local notables, community elders, teachers, students and parents. The new building was constructed with the support of the US government through the $159.2 million USAID Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP), in partnership with the Government of Sindh.
Mr. Hryshchyshyn and Mr. Pervez unveiled the plaque at the school entrance followed by a ribbon cutting. Guests visited different displays from SBEP partners including Blumont’s Sindh Community Mobilization Program (CMP), Program Management and Implementation Unit (PMIU) and Halcrow, the construction partner.
USAID Director for Sindh and Balochistan Michael Hryshchyshyn and Secretary of SELD Qazi Shahid Pervez unveil the plaque for the new school in Sukkur.
Mr. Hryshchyshyn said the US government is proud to partner with the Government of Sindh in promoting education for all.
“We, along with our partners from the School Education and Literacy Department, focus on improving the quality and accessibility of education,” he said. “The Sindh Basic Education Program is helping to improve the quality of teaching and increase access to safe learning opportunities for children, especially for girls through engagement with the private sector.”
Mr. Hryshchyshyn speaking to the audience at the inauguration ceremony
Mr. Pervez also noted the importance of USAID’s work in Sindh, particularly in engaging the private sector.
“It is a proud moment for me to perform the inauguration ceremony of Government Modern High School Sukkur under SBEP, which is a great program especially for the children of Sindh.” He expressed his appreciation for USAID and the US government’s strong support in modernizing education in Sindh. The Secretary highlighted the program’s public-private partnership model and commended efforts of Education Management Organizations in managing these schools efficiently.
Students and teachers also helped celebrate the school inauguration. The Head Teacher of the new school, Mr. Naseer Shah, welcomed the guests and gave historical background of the school. A group of students performed a cultural song, and one girl spoke about the importance of girls’ education. She thanked USAID and the American people for providing a state-of-the-art school building.
A group of students performs a cultural song
USAID has supported SBEP in constructing 112 modern school buildings in nine districts of northern Sindh and five towns in Karachi. Sixty schools have already been constructed, while 52 others are under various stages of construction. The program aims to increase and sustain student enrollment in primary, middle and secondary public schools in select areas of Sindh, with a special focus on providing opportunity for children who have dropped out of school. In addition to constructing schools, SBEP and CMP also support government reforms in education, community mobilization, public-private partnerships and improving reading competencies of students.
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CMP is a USAID-funded program that supports the Government of Sindh’s education reform and USAID’s Sindh Basic Education Program. CMP improves school resources and encourages community support for educational reform in Sindh province while identifying and addressing primary barriers to access, particularly for female students.
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