The Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) recently provided assistance to a group of enthusiastic young students with their research studies and investigations. These students were all members of Beyond Borders, an international youth program that challenges students from South Asia and UK to discover the world with their own perspectives and to identify social issues and difficulties faced within their communities.

The Adopt-A-School Program team took the students to Mubarak Village and helped them communicate with the local community members to understand their customs and traditions. The exciting activity became a learning experience for the young minds helping them understand what it means to be an active global citizen, what social responsibility means, and the manner of studying societal issues of Pakistan.

A two day interactive workshop was held at a local institute during the month of April-May 2006. The training, titled "Supporting Quality Revival in Public Schools" focused on familiarizing Adopters & Head Masters on community sensitization, school observation ethics and school development plan. Mr. Ghulam Ali Shah Pasha, former Secretary Education, Education & Literacy Department, Govt. of Sindh participated as the Chief Guest of the event.

As part of the Adopt-A-School Program team's professional development strategy, a 7-day study tour, from March 5 to 11 2006, was organized. The tour included visits to Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi in Lahore and the Pakistan Center of Philanthropy in Islamabad to study models of Adopt-A-School programs underway in Punjab. The program team members were able to reflect, review and learn from program experiences across Punjab province and incorporate lessons learnt into their own working framework. The visit also provided an excellent opportunity for SEF to develop institutional linkages for strengthening the Adopt-A-School Program in Sindh.

During the month of June this year the Sindh Education Foundation held a two-day seminar for the Adopt-A-School Program. The seminar was conducted to share views and perceptions regarding the program and possibilities of strengthening the program. The seminar provided a platform to adopters, SEF, government school representatives and government officials to collectively discuss program-related issues and reach a consensus regarding key policy recommendations. A significant number of recommendations and ideas emerged from the range of stakeholders that were present during the seminar. During the preliminary round, held on June14, 2005 adopters of all the Adopt-A-School Program schools were invited to reflect on the findings of the Situation Analysis conducted by SEF and to develop a concrete work plan for the course of activities of the program for the coming years.

The second day of the seminar focused on providing a platform to facilitate dialogue between the government and adopters to explore avenues for program strengthening. The seminar also provided an opportunity to reflect on existing roles and responsibilities of key program stakeholders and to collectively propose changes and recommendations regarding the program’s future course of action. Prof. Anita Ghulam Ali, Managing Director, Sindh Education Foundation formally welcomed the participants and appreciated the contribution of the adopters. She assured the adopters of SEF’s ongoing support and facilitation in all school improvement measures.

Mr. Hashim Leghari, the then Secretary of Education & Literacy Department, Mr. Mehboob Sheikh, Additional Secretary, Academics & Training and EDOs from Nawabshah, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Mirpurkhas and Thatta participated in the event. Mr. Hashim Leghari emphasized the need for providing access to education to out-of-school children. He reiterated the government’s pledge to increase enrolment in Sindh and enumerated various schemes and projects in the pipeline for education sector reforms. Responding to various questions raised by the adopters he extended the Department of Education’s commitment to support the program and facilitate the adopters as and when required.

During the seminar Dr. Baela Raza Jamil, Chairperson of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi highlighted certain issues central to the operations of the program. She outlined many ideas to strengthen the program, encourage philanthropists to help in the improvement of public sector education and create sustainability within existing schools.

The Adopt-A-School Program, initiated by the Sindh Education Foundation in 1997, is one of the pioneer programs that aim to partner the private and public sector in order to revive educational support for government schools.