KARACHI: Sindh achieved a major milestone in advancing educational reforms during the Regional Education Forum held in Manila, Philippines.
Participating in the forum at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters, Sindh’s Minister for Education, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, successfully secured a USD 10 million grant from the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd).
The grant is expected to significantly support ongoing reforms and improve service delivery across the province’s education sector. During the forum, Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah held a bilateral meeting with senior officials of IFFEd.
The delegation included Karthik Krishnan, Founding CEO of IFFEd, Nina Stochniol, Head of Operations, other senior officials, and representatives from the Asian Development Bank.
In the meeting, the minister provided a detailed briefing on Sindh’s educational priorities and reform agenda, outlining the province’s future roadmap. He highlighted ongoing initiatives in skills development, teacher training, examination reforms, community mobilization, and back-to-school campaigns, emphasising that the Sindh government is committed to structural reforms and stability in the education sector. “Our top priorities are skills development, teacher training, and examination reforms,” he said.
The IFFEd delegation welcomed Sindh’s reform framework and approved the processing of the $10 million grant. The funding will be utilized to strengthen ongoing programs under the School Education & Literacy Department, enhance the education system, and implement upgrades aligned with modern requirements.
Established in 2023 in Geneva, IFFEd is a global education financing foundation formed through the collaboration of four major multilateral development banks and several bilateral donors. Its mission is to provide sustainable and impactful financial support for education worldwide.
The grant secured by Sindh is being recognised as a significant milestone in advancing educational reforms and is expected to further strengthen the province’s partnerships with international financing mechanisms.
During the meeting, ADB representatives also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting and expanding collaboration with Sindh’s education sector.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025