KARACHI, Oct 2: Under an agreement between Islamabad and the Asian Development Bank, about three per cent of the existing primary schools in Sindh will be upgraded to elementary level, within a period of six years.

At present, there are about 39,000 primary schools in the province, as against 2,000 middle schools and an equal number of secondary schools.

The province needs about 19,000 more schools with classes VI to VII education facilities to cater to the need of population in the age group of 10-12, which is out of school.

The project pertaining to upgradation of 1,200 selected primary schools and to other developments, would be carried out with US$75 million ADB loan, under the Decentralized Elementary Education Project (DEEP), by the Sindh government, through various school management committees.

Sindh Education department on Thursday organized a workshop for Zila and Union Nazims, DCOs and EDOs at a hotel to introduce the DEEP and apprise them of the developments made so far in this connection. An ADB mission comprising two educationists and a project analysts from Manila, were also present on the occasion.

In his opening remarks, Sindh education secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha said that elementary education in the country, specially in Sindh, had always been a matter of concern.

Giving details of the DEEP, he said that under the project, about 1,200 existing high potential primary schools would be upgraded, while one male and one female English medium model school at each tehsil would also be established. In addition to that 1,000 pre-primary classes would be added to primary schools and 100 shelterless elementary schools would be rehabilitated, he informed, saying that all components of the project would be implemented with the involvement of the elected representatives, teachers, parents and NGOs.

During different sessions of the workshop, the participants were informed about basics of procurement and disbursement guidelines, as approved by the ADB, besides project implementation and activity plan and procedure.

Those who spoke on the issues included Deputy Director DEEP, Mahmood Ali Lakho, chairman of the chief minister’s Inspection Team, Nazar Hussain Mahar, William Loxley, the principal educationist, Marissa Espiritu, Associate Project Analyst and Ayako Inagaki, the education specialist, all from the ADB.

The workshop participants were told that guidelines regarding the selection of primary schools for upgradation should be strictly followed, otherwise schools upgraded at wrong places would not serve the project’s aims. The people concerned, including the EDOs, were asked to visit the sites of schools, otherwise amount spent on school established at unsuitable places would be recovered from people found responsible for dead investment.

It was further said that teachers would be provided to the upgraded schools by the time the construction works, pertaining to new classes, were completed. Selection boards for the appointments of teachers at upgraded middle schools would be headed by retired judges, while the funds would be released to the SMCs, and consultants would be hired for suggesting ways and means for creating public awareness about the DEEP’s targets and objectives.

Some of the participants, hailing from the interior of Sindh suggested that the condition of provision of 20 per cent of the total cost of construction of new classrooms by the community concerned, would be reviewed and community could be asked to provide other related services to the schools.

Under the programme, on average three classrooms, a science room and basic supporting amenities would be added to selected primary schools, it was told.

According to schedule-six of the agreement, the identification of primary schools to be upgraded should be based on the following criteria:

(a) there is no other school that has been upgraded in the that Union Council, (b) there is land available adjacent to the school and the school has at least two classrooms and veranda, (c) at least 20 female students are enrolled in grade five, (d) there are sufficient students in the catchment areas to ensure a minimum enrolment of 35 students in each class 6, 7 and 8.

The total cost of the DEEP is Rs5,880 million, including 23 per cent to be shared by the Sindh government, ie Rs1,341 million.

The project executing agency would enable ADB’s representatives to inspect the project, the goods financed out of the proceeds of the loan, all other plants, sites, works, property and equipment of the project executing agency, besides any relevant record and documents, added the agreement.

MR William Loxley, told Dawn that two thirds of the new elementary schools would be reserved for girls. He said that the DEEP had been made effective from July 31 and would be completed in phases, while the ADB mission would be visiting at least twice a year to monitor and review the project development.

He said that the project could be a good opportunity to promote a system deemed effective, not only to increase the enrolment but to improve the quality of education, adding that arrangements would also be made to provide vocational training to the students at the upgraded schools.

DEEP’s Deputy Director, Mahmood Lakho, said that lists and proposals for upgradation of primary schools were already being received at the Provincial Implementing unit of the project, which would be scrutinized shortly. He said that the construction works and appointments of teachers at schools would be kicked off in December, this year.