The Sindh government has announced plans to review and strengthen its early childhood education (ECE) policy by integrating a foundation learning mechanism into the framework, officials said on Wednesday.
The decision came after a meeting chaired by Syed Sardar Ali Shah, Sindh’s Minister for Education and Mineral Development. The meeting focused on enhancing the ECE programme and incorporating foundation learning and numeracy into the policy draft.
Key participants included Zahid Ali Abbasi, Secretary of School Education; Dr. Junaid Samo, Chief Program Manager of RSU; Shehzad Roy, from Zindagi Trust; Salma, CEO of Durbeen; Dr. Fauzia, Chief Curriculum Advisor; Syed Rasool Bux Shah, Executive Director of STEDA; Prem Sagar, Development Consultant; and Dr. Fatima Dar, an education researcher.
The current ECE policy, which was implemented in Sindh in 2015, has established 6,000 ECE classes, educating more than 800,000 children between the ages of 3 and 8. Teachers have been trained, and educational materials, including workbooks in English, Urdu, and Sindhi, have been developed to support the programme.
During the meeting, Minister Shah stressed the importance of strengthening activity-based learning and incorporating foundation learning and numeracy. He emphasized the need to support children’s physical, mental, emotional, and social development as they transition from early education to primary school.
Shah also called for a focus on psychological development through modern learning tools, such as picture books, educational games, and creative activities. These methods, he said, would not only improve learning outcomes but also foster better teacher-parent coordination and address psychological challenges.
Additionally, Shah urged private schools to hire qualified ECE teachers and encouraged universities to develop ECE programmes and diploma courses. Salma, CEO of Durbeen, suggested prioritizing early education in children’s mother tongue to help them build strong foundations before transitioning to other languages.
Minister Shah welcomed these suggestions, reaffirming Sindh’s commitment to providing ECE materials in three languages and further enhancing the curriculum to improve learning outcomes.
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