WHAT CAN YOU DO? - cloudfront.net

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WHAT CAN YOU DO?

IMPROVING YOUR CHILDREN’S EDUCATION SINDH

Everyone has a part to play when it comes to improving education in Pakistan’s government schools. You, as a parent, have the opportunity and the ability to improve your child’s learning experience. Here are some ways to help: 1 Talk to your children

Talking to your children is an essential step in improving their learning experience. If you are unable to read and write to the level your child needs, ask neighbours, friends or family members to help out , or speak to other parents to help you come up with ways to get your child the extra help they need.

1 Encourage your children to discuss any problems that they are facing in school with you 2 Help your children with these problems (classwork, homework, distress, teachers, etc.) 3 Make sure that your children finish their homework every day 4 Encourage your children to read books 5 Find your closest library and visit it with your children as often as possible 6 Form a study group with other parents and children (getting together with other students to study in a group) 7 Encourage your children to help each other with their homework

2 Talk to your children’s teachers

Teachers make an enormous difference to the quality of education your children receive. Described below are some ways to engage with teachers in government schools:

1

Attend all Parent-Teacher meetings

2

Recognize and appreciate the teachers’ efforts in school and their contribution to your children’s education

3

Offer to volunteer (for example art activities, student weeks, field trips) at your children’s schools

4 Encourage teachers to improve their knowledge and teaching skills and ask how you can help them do so 5 Discuss your children’s progress in schools and their weaknesses and ask how you can help improve them 6 Ask teachers how you can help your children perform better in school 7 Communicate the problems your child faces in the class with her/his teacher

3 Join School Management Committees

School Management Committees (SMCs) are a way for you to get involved in the management of your children’s schools and help improve the education that they receive at a more formal level. In order to encourage parents to take ownership and participate in the administrative affairs of schools, the Government of Sindh established a platform called School Management Committee (SMC). Members of SMCs include parents, local male/female councilors, teachers and community volunteers An active parent (mother/father) can become this committee’s Chairperson and the school principal serves as the General Secretary. SMCs in Sindh work at primary, middle, high and high-secondary school levels. As a member of an SMC you will assist school authorities in the following two areas:

A Financial affairs

Sindh’s Education and Literacy Department allocates a fixed

sum of Rs.22,000 for each primary school, Rs.50,000 for each middle school and Rs.100,000 for each high school in the province to SMCs. School Management Committees can spend the allocated funds for petty repair work, purchase of fans, water coolers, blackboards, laboratory material, and the construction of washrooms. Communities are encouraged to utilise these funds to cover for the missing facilities in their schools and any unutilised funds will not be returned to the government. Funds can be only be utilised after joint signatures from both the chairperson (parent) and the general secretary (school principal) have been obtained. B Administrative and development affairs A fundamental objective for SMCs is to encourage the enrolment of all out-of-school children and to make sure the factors contributing to the drop out of students are curbed. SMCs also focus on the attendance of students and teachers and, in cases of continued absence, can officially report a teacher to the concerned officers from education department. They monitor the progress of repairs and construction of classrooms, and purchase of furniture and laboratory equipment. Finally, SMCs also focus on the quality of education imparted at the schools and can use its funds to facilitate the educational activities as requested by students and teachers.

4 Make your voice heard

As a citizen and voter, you have the right to a free and compulsory quality education for your children. If your children are not receiving the quality education they deserve, you must make your voice heard by those responsible by taking one or more of the following measures:

1

Speak to other parents of students enrolled in the same school about any problems/issues

2

Write to the Education Managers (TEO and DEO)

3

Take the matter(s) up with the members of the SMC and the School's Headmaster/mistress

4

Share your concerns with the local government representatives (UC, Tehsil and District levels)

5

Always take a candidates’ education mandate into account before casting your vote

6

Look up Civil Society Organisations to help organise protests and meetings for persistent problems

7

Contact your local media offices and journalists to report persistent problems

8

Look up Complaint Management Systems in your province and utilise them (find a list by province at the end of this document)

9

Talk to your MPA and MNA regarding problems in the school(s)

Complaint mechanisms: 1

Ilmi

2

Education and Literacy Department

Anyone can SMS Ilmi by sending a message to 8398 saying “Ilmi – (state problem or ask question)”. Ilmi is an application controlled by the Sindh Reform Unit and allows anyone to submit complains and concerns about education, schools or teachers to the education department. Issues are resolved on a short-term basis and responses are received on the same day. SMS 8398 to find out more.

Complaints can also be submitted online to the Sindh Education and Literacy Department http://www.sindheducation.gov.pk/feedback/feedback.jsp