Government schools in Sindh will operate one hour less each day under a new schedule announced by provincial Education Minister Sardar Shah, as the province grapples with mounting education challenges ranging from flood damage to funding shortfalls.
The minister revealed the change in a post on his official Facebook account, without specifying when the revised timings would take effect. Speaking separately at a ceremony in Karachi, Shah used the platform to outline broader problems facing the education sector, chief among them the struggle to keep children in school.
Shah acknowledged that authorities have so far failed to devise a uniform education policy for Sindh, calling the scale of out-of-school children one of the biggest challenges confronting the province. He linked part of the crisis to recent flooding, which he said damaged the boundary walls of 20,000 schools.
The minister also renewed pressure on Islamabad over education financing, noting that Pakistan ranks among the lowest spenders on education globally. He urged the federal government to release funds for educational institutions through the Public Sector Development Programme, arguing that provincial resources alone are insufficient to meet the scale of need.
To bridge gaps in access, Shah said millions of children are currently enrolled in community-based education centres across Sindh. However, he cautioned that rising inflation has pushed up the running costs of these centres, straining an already stretched system.
