KARACHI, July 15: The Sindh government has planned to launch a Rs5.8 billion decentralized elementary education project in the province with assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Under the project, 204 model schools, one each for girls and boys at taluka headquarter with classes from nursery to matric, including O and A level, will be established to function purely as English medium schools.

The talks with the ADB for financial assistance are currently underway, provincial secretary education Nazar Hussain Mahar told this news agency on Monday.

For setting up such model institutions, he said, the existing high schools will be selected to introduce pre-primary (nursery) classes and imparting education in English.

In view of difficulties to be faced by students already enrolled in Sindhi/Urdu medium, English subject would be introduced from class three and six, the secretary added.

Each model school will be provided with 15 computers in addition to improving their existing science laboratories and libraries.

Besides, skill development courses, including garment-making and other vocations, would be introduced in all these institutions, he said.

Mr Mahar said teachers of these schools would be imparted training in English teaching, while under another programme 115 teachers, seven from each district, would be selected to get them admitted to MEd classes at the Aga Khan University on government expenses.

To a query about the Middle School Project, he said there were about 38,000 primary schools in the province, while the number of middle schools was only 2,000.

“The government plans to upgrade 1,400 primary schools to the middle schools, raising the existing number to 3400, of which 70 per cent would be for girls with introduction of skill development courses.”

In order to encourage girls, they will be granted scholarships up to middle level and in case of remote areas financial assistance will be extended to them up to matric, he added.

Since the government stresses on community participation in the process, it has been decided to provide buildings to 250 community-based shelterless schools in the province.

He said only woman teachers will be appointed at primary level in girls and boys schools in future.—PPI