Education Sector Reform Assistance (ESRA) programme Islamabad Deputy Chief Dr Suleman Humayun has said the five year programme would bring about education reforms in the country with emphasis on improvement of quality education. Speaking at a news conference in the Sindh University on Friday he said USAID programme envisaged proper planning of education, improvement in the quality of education, professional development of teachers and educational manager.
Those included principals, EDOs and other management staff, promotion of non-formal education and public-community participation through school management committees in brining about educational reforms.
He said main focus was on the implementation of programme in Sindh and Balochistan provinces for which dollars 71.5 million would be spent for the furtherance of objectives.
He said the lion's share of those funds would go to Sindh where 29,000 teachers out of 34,000 would be provided training. He said 5,000 schools have been selected in Sindh under the ESRA programme.
Dr Humayun said a committee headed by Sindh university vice chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui has been constituted along with the Balochistan university vice chancellor Ghulam Muhammad Taj to recommend ways and means to implement the programme.
He said educational experts like faculty of education dean professor Asif Ali Qazi, Abdul Khaliq Chachar and Dr Ismail Saad would assist Vice Chancellor Siddiqui. While Dr Rasool Bux Essani, Dr Muhammad Hakim and Professor Ghulam Shabbir would assist Ghulam Muhammad Taj.
He further said each selected school was being given a grant of dollars 1800 for bringing about physical and educational improvement. He said to oversee implementation of entire programme a Provincial Reform Support Unit would be established.