looding in Sindh has always disturbed education as the only available facilities for education institutes to accommodate the displaced people are schools functioning as camps. During the three to four months of the floods, education remained disturbed due to the absence of recommended education-friendly strategies to support it, unlike in other countries where plans are made to relocate affected populations to places other than schools when a disaster occurs.

In Sindh, education institutes are relied upon as a primary resource in such situations. Due to floods, schools face the issue of learning loss every third year.

In the previous four disasters—floods in 2011, the Covid-19 in pandemic in 2020, floods in 2020 and floods in 2022—there was no remedial strategy in place. This resulted in school closures and students experiencing issues with the quality of education.

Lack of planning always results in waste. Here, the government pays salaries to teachers who do not teach for months in such situations. Consequently, education from primary to intermediate levels is severely disrupted during the flood season.

Many teachers then pass students without giving them any examination. This practice affects their education, resulting in students having inadequate clarity. Lack of practice assessments adds another gap in learning. This can push some to even drop out of school when routines resume.

In the absence of performance improvement measures, many parents choose to withdraw their children from school and shift to work in shops, garages and other places.

There is a need to ensure assessment to identify and mobilise talented teachers/persons from each district within the education sector. This team of educators can then help the affected districts meet quality criteria; they can guide DEOs, ADEOs, TEOs and school principals achieve quality results. They can support schools in quarterly assessments.

Sindh needs such practices to ensure quality education and to get tangible results. This can only be achieved through the formation of Education Task Forces comprising persons who are deeply invested in student welfare and district education. Experts from various fields can play a crucial role in creating effective strategies for the district and providing regular feedback to education secretaries. The government also pays pensions to retired teachers. The department can use their experience by appointing them as guides for the teams.

The formulation of taluka-wise task forces and think tanks to monitor TEO’s (Taluka Education Officer) progress school-wise is essential. This strategy will provide support to each school and its students. The government can invest in such teams and organise training programmes through outsourcing. They can contribute effectively and report directly to the education secretary.

Scheduling remedial classes is necessary to fill the gaps in students’ disrupted education. 

This innovative approach can help address educational gaps and issues effectively, ultimately leading to improved educational outcomes across the region.

Scheduling remedial classes is necessary to fill the gaps in students’ education.

Some schools have a high number of students. This can be effectively managed by executing two shifts for both schools and teachers. Additionally, the government can institute a reward system by providing various incentives, such as promotion based on quality of teaching and offering salary raises tied to results (subject to special cases and satisfactory performance).

We also need to address the realities such as cheating in examinations, insufficient focus on students, a large fraction of students lacking a satisfactory grasp of basic concepts, advancement to the next class without adequate ability and knowledge and the lack of quality assessment.

In some developed countries schools focus on their students’ weaknesses. This involves analytical tests, reviewing previous examination papers, improvement since last month/ year/ exam and separate and special discussions with the students to understand their challenges. Based on the academic assessment, a customised remedial student-wise strategy is designed. The focus is on strengthening their weak skills while also ensuring that they develop an understanding of the foundational concepts necessary for the remaining courses. The evening shifts are scheduled after regular school hours, typically from late afternoon to early evening, to ensure accessibility for students. Some schools also cover remaining courses through pay-back strategies, such as officials who are interested in volunteering to teach and other individuals sincerely interested in helping students. Many schools guide parents to cover the remaining courses as well.

Now is the time for the Education Department to take conclusive action to address these issues. Due to fading interest and a lack of ownership, the rates of dropouts, absenteeism and out of school students have increased.

In flood zones and other deprived areas, arranging remedial classes and running schools after 2pm can reduce the learning losses incurred by climatic challenges.

The governments should prioritise education in post-disaster recovery efforts and implement policies that support the continuation of schooling in affected areas.

There is a need to develop a district-wide strategy to support the education of Sindh’s deprived children.

The writer is based in Umerkot. He has more than 13 years of experience in the development sector. He can be reached at shewaram@live.com