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Background:
Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates of 55 per cent and stands at 160th in total countries of the world in terms of literacy. The country is facing tremendous challenges in the education sector with 25 million children not attending schools at all. Sindh is the home of second highest proportion of out of school children with 51 per cent. In rural Sindh 18 per cent of primary schools have no physical compound or buildings, more than 65 per cent have no electricity, more than half have no drinking water facility, 49 per cent are without latrines or sanitation facilities, and 44 per cent has no boundary walls. Number of districts in Sindh is suffering from flagrant out of school children percentage and one of them is District Shaheed Benazirabad, the home of Rotary of Club of Nawabshah Central. According to Annual Status of Education Report the percentage of out of school children in District Shaheed Benazirabad is 28%, and the district ranks 65 among the 146 districts of Pakistan in terms of availability of basic faculties in primary schools surveyed by AlifAlan, a prominent watchdog.
Besides the lack of basic facilities, the weather of district also affects the schooling system as it remains hot and scorching most of the year. The average temperature from March to October remains 45 cc. As a result, the schools have to be closed before the due timing which precludes the completion of the course clipping the Effective Transition Rate between Primary and Lower Secondary Level, which is only 54 per cent. The key reason is for the squalid situation is unavailability of adequate infrastructure and dearth of basic facilities.
Need:
Rotary Club of Nawabshah Central has identified 15 schools of Union Council Amerji District Shaheed Benazirabad, Sindh, Rotary District 3271, which are in exigence needs of desks, teaching/reading boards teacher tables, chairs, and fanning system. During the survey conducted by members of the club, it has been founded out that children have been seating on wooden-boards placed on the pieces of rocks or on the classroom floor, teaching/reading boards are in irreparable-condition, teachers has no proper arrangements to carry out their affairs and there is no electricity in the schools to provide fanning to children during the boiling summer heat when the temperature rise to 52 cc. Albeit the whole District Shaheed Benazirabad is lamentable and ranks 65 out of 146 districts of Pakistan in terms of availability of basic faculties, the union council Amerji is the most underprivileged and illiterate union council with the lowest enrollment of children in the primary schools as well as over 2000 out of school children aging 5-16 years, according to Education and Literacy Department Government of Sindh and Free and Fair Election Network respectively.
Provision of desks, teacher tables, chairs, teaching/reading boards, and installing solar panels in order to provide ceiling-fan system to 15 identified schools under this Global Grant will ameliorate the schooling quality and increase access to quality education. It will ensure uninterrupted academic season for children leading to enhancing the enrollment and retention rate and decreasing the number of out of school children in the union council. Teachers' teaching ability will also be impacted in positive way and the learning outcomes of children will be benefited. In this regard, meetings with School Administration, School Management Committees, Parents and District Education Office, District Shaheed Benazirabad have already been undertaken to ensure the sustainability of items. The project is to complete in the span of six months. Members of Rotary Club of Nawabshah Central will be responsible for planning and implementation of the grant while the International partners will provide the majority of funding, coordination, and financial management.
Goal:
Enhancing Basic Education and Increasing Literacy
Objective:
• To provide basic facility of seating to students
• To provide basic needs i.e. teacher tables/chairs to carry out their jobs
• To equip the schools with teaching/reading boards and solar fanning via solar power
Outcomes:
• 15 primary schools will be equipped with basic needs
• 524 enrolled have access to improved schooling and have access to basic facilities
• At least 300 new children will be enrolled due to availability basic facilities
• 29 teachers will have access to teaching/reading boards and facilities benefiting improved teaching methods and learning methods
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Summary of Implementation Strategy
1. Formation of Procurement Committee comprised off two members of RC Nawabshah Central and One member from the partner club
2. Preparation of Notice Tender to procure basic facilities and solar panel and submission to Procurement Committee for approval
3. Publication of Notice Tender in the News Paper to call bids from the prospective venders
4. After 15 days, selection of appropriate vender in opening biding in the presence of Procurement Committee at RC Nawabshah Central
5. Agreement Signing with the selected venders for basic facilities and solar panels
6. Provision of Items to identified schools
7. Handing and taking over of items in ceremonies at the schools in presence of District Education Officials, School Management Committee Members, Members of Rotary Foundation and Rotary Club of Nawabshah Central
8. Obtaining undertaking from School Management Committee about ensuring proper maintenance of the items
9. Collection of newly enrolled out of school children data and submission to Rotary Foundation and partner club
10. Submission of narrative report with pictures of each ceremony to partner club
11. Final Submission of narrative and financial report to Rotary Foundation and partner club
Project Beneficiaries:
524 Primary Schools Students
At least 300 newly enrolled out of school students
29 Primary Schools Teachers
75 School Management Committee members
Indirect Beneficiaries:
Parents of students
Sustainability:
School Management Committees will be engaged and they will be encouraged to look after the provided items. In this connection meetings with SMCs chairmen and members will be held in which non-members parents will also invited to promote sense of ownership among the community members towards education and schools. The strategy will help in ensuring the sustainability of the initiatives as well as foster the community members to keep on contributing for the betterment of schooling and quality education.
Budget:
S. No. Items Specifications Unit/S Unit Cost Total Cost
1 Desks 4'L X 2'9"D X 2'6"( desk height), 275 US$75 US$20,625
18"Seating height 25 sq.mm MS tube
frame work powder coating finish top ,
seating and storage 18mm thk pre lamniated
board with 2mm thk edge banding
2 Teacher Tables 1200 x600 x760mm (H) 25 US$47 US$1,175
Structure made of mild steel
square pipe 25x25mm (Mild steel/cold
rolled IIL wall thick 1.2mm. Having 04-nos
rubber shoes 25x25mm good quality.
Finished with N.C. silver paint
3 Teacher Chairs Wooden Seat & Cane Back 12 US$19 US$228
4 White Teaching/Reading Broad 5.5x 5.5 whiteboards 30 US$100 US$3,000
5 Solar Panel 300 Watts (4 Fans 2 Savers) 15 US$708 US$10,620
6 Solar and Facilities Transportation Cost US$943
7 Tender Notice Publication in News Paper US$283
Total US$37,399
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