Sukkur :  Pakistan Arts Council Karachi, on the second day of the Pakistan Literature Festival 2025, Sukkur Chapter II, the first session on “School Education in Sindh” held at the Sukkur IBA University auditorium. The session featured speakers Sadiqa Salahuddin, Hafeeza Bano, Noor Hussain, and Hassan Ali Shah, while Fatima Dayo moderated the discussion.

Sadiqa Salahuddin said that many schools were destroyed due to floods, and we kept waiting for the government or donors to help financially. A good infrastructure is very important for education, but we have developed a habit of relying on international aid. She added that in many areas, sending girls to school is not considered safe because there are no female teachers. To reduce the education gap between boys and girls, it is very important to have both male and female teachers. Instead of focusing on  building new institutions we must strengthen the existing ones. Lack of budget is a major reason for educational problems.

Hafeeza Bano said that education has always faced challenges, but now Sindh government is addressing these challanges which is a great step. Our teachers are not properly trained. Instead of just making children read books, we need to clarify their concepts.

Noor Hussain said that educational institutions must cooperate with each other. “A house where decisions are made outside cannot progress,” the same applies to schools. He added that schools must develop the ability to build their own curriculum. Schools should be independent to make decisions. If community leaders enroll their children in the schools they are building instead of sending them to private schools, it can improve the education system.

Hassan Ali Shah said that the biggest problem in education is that we look at things from the top to bottom instead of bottom to top. 26.2 million children in Pakistan are out of school. If a school enrolls 80 children, barely 30 continue attending. He further said that our school system has become a “transit camp,” where teachers come only with the mindset of spending some time and then moving somewhere else. He added that technology is very important to improve schools. If we use technology properly in education, we can strengthen the education system.