The Stakeholder Meeting for the Adopt-a-School Program (AASP) was organized by Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) on 11th January, 2012 at a local hotel in Sukkur with over 30 participants attending the event. The audience comprised industrial heads, government officials, education sector practitioners, policy makers, and representatives from the private sector who could be prospective school adopters. The list of attending organizations included BSWA Khairpur, Engro, Pano Akil Petroleum, IRC, Coca Cola, Chamber of Commerce, Educate, Pak Daal Mills, MACH Development Foundation Ghotki, CCBPL, The Citizens Foundation, J.S. Rice Mills, Al-Noor Tiles Palace, Education College, Pakistan Bait-ul Mal.
Aziz Kabani (Director, SEF) chaired the meeting and briefed the audience about the objectives of public-private-partnership in education and the role the Adopt-a-School Program has been playing for furthering the cause of education in Sindh. The forum served to highlight the efforts of existing school adopters and share their experiences with other prospective adopters. Details of the Government’s renewed commitment to the program were also shared.
Asma Inyatullah (Manager, SEF) gave an introduction on the Adopt-a-School Program stating that AASP has been a flagship initiative of SEF which has mobilized private sector support for public school reform. She said that to date more than 250 successful adoptions have been made and benefited thousands of children belonging to marginalized areas of Sindh. She added that the Government has highly acknowledged the SEF initiative and granted funds for Adopt-a-School Program to improve the quality of education.
Aziz Kabani shared Prof. Anita Ghulam Ali’s (Managing Director, SEF) vision behind initiating the government and private sector collaboration which has taken concrete form as the Adopt-a-School program. It 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 added. The adopters contribute through the donation of time, resources and privileges for giving 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. Mr. Kabani went further to commend the efforts of the school adopters and the Foundation in furthering the education agenda in Sindh.
Afterwards, SEF’s senior management responded to queries of the potential and existing school adopters with renewed commitment towards creating an enabling environment to extend quality education for all.
