S i n d h E d u c a t i o n Fo u n d a t i o n

Government of Sindh

strengthening public schools through partnerships

strengthening public schools through partnerships
VISION To establish public private & public community
partnerships for improvement of government schools

OBJECTIVES

Government school improvement through:

Mobilizing support from the civil society, private

sector, NGOs/CBOs, corporate sector and
philanthropists.

Facilitating adopters to develop and implement

school development plans for improvement of
adopted schools

Providing quality inputs to enrich the learning

environment in the schools

Gauging the impact of adopters' initiatives on

the overall standards of education and especially
students' learning outcomes

Developing and strengthening linkages with all

stakeholders within and outside the school.

TARGET AREA
The province of Sindh
PROCEDURE
OF SCHOOL ADOPTION
PRE APPROVAL PHASE

Program guidelines are provided to the individual/organization upon request.

Identification of a school mutually agreed by the adopter and SEF.
Meeting with the school administration and needs analysis of the school.
Approval of adoption and contract signing.

POST APPROVAL PHASE

An initial meeting of all stakeholders (including the Adopter, school administration

and the Sindh Education Foundation.)
Signing of registration forms/agreement for adoption.
Introduction of adopters with the School Management Committee (SMC) and
the community.
Development of linkages with the Department of Education and concerned
departments for school improvement.
School Development Planning (SDP).

IMPLEMENTATION PHASE

After adoption you can work towards achieving targets as per the SDP:
Improving school environment and facilities.
Initiating co-curricular activities.
Mobilizing the school management towards school improvement.
 HOW TO GET STARTED
Please fill and post the SEF will contact you for
attached form to The Adopt- school identification and
A-School Program, Sindh initiating the adoption
Education Foundation Head process.
Office in Karachi

Name:

Designation:

Name of Organization/Individual:

Postal Address:

Phone Number:

Mobile Number:

Fax Number:

Email Address:

Have you identified a school (s) for sdoption:

Yes No

If Yes, please provide name and address:

What type of support are you planning to extend to the school(s) post adoption?

Comments:
The Adopt-A-School Program
Sindh Education Foundation, Government of Sindh
Plot 9, Block 7, Kehkashan, Clifton 5, Karachi - 75600

Phone: (92-21) 111-424-111

Fax: (92-21) 99251652
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
URL: www.sef.org.pk
 PROGRAM INTERVENTIONS

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT STUDENT

PLANNING (SDP) ASSESSMENT
Adopters can develop ENRICHMENT OF To gauge the impact of
and implement viable adopter driven quality
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
School Development initiatives on student
Plans for the adopted Since child centered learning environment learning outcomes and
schools. SEF will offer is at the heart of SEF’s education philosophy, overall education
capacity building an enriched classroom experience is vital standards of the school,
workshops to facilitate for students. These will entail story books, SEF will conduct regular
adopters for devising flash cards, reference books, classroom student assessment.
these plans. The purpose displays and other supplementary material
of SDP will be to set out to aid teachers and students to make
time bound targets and learning an engaging experience. SEF will
strategies for monitoring, facilitate adopters in creating an
adoption facilitation, environment within schools that allow for an
capacity building of enriching learning experience for students.
adopters. Research will
also be conducted to
evaluate the impact of
adopted schools in
improving the academic
output of schools.
 D E F I N I N G

SCHOOL ADOPTION
Through adoption the Sindh Education
Foundation strives to establish sustainable
public private partnership for government
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY school improvement. SEF encourages
‘ADOPTION’? individuals/organizations to
adopt government schools
and guides them to ensure
Adoption illustrates 'nurturing'. In government school revival.
more than one way, adopting a
school also means nurturing the
school, children and other
stakeholders. Most government
schools in the province of Sindh
lack quality education and basic
facilities consequently exposing
thousands of children to ill-
CAN YOU
equipped schools and poor quality
BE AN ADOPTER?
of education. By adopting a school
one can play a crucial role by
You don’t have to be a
improving the physical conditions
registered NGO/CBO or a
and the standard of education in
company. If you are a
government schools.
concerned individual or group
with a keen interest in
government school revitalization,
you can be an adopter. The SEF
will match you up with a school;
preferably one of your choice.
A D O P T I O N What are your
RESPONSIBILITIES
as an adopter?
A caregiver and
contributor.
Develop and implement
the School Development
Plan and monitor progress
on targets.
Participate in trainings
organized by SEF.
Share school progress and
How can you HELP in reports with SEF on a regular
Reviving a Government School? basis.
Ensure a congenial working
Y o u c a n environment in the school
and take all steps necessary
Identify school development needs and prioritize.
for raising the standards of
Devise School Development Plan (SDP) with SEF’s
education offered.
facilitation.
Work closely with school
Improve school infrastructure and learning environment level stakeholders (teachers,
as per SDP targets. SMC and community)
Undertake regular visits to the school. Facilitate SEF for
Ensure a congenial working environment in the school. undertaking quality
Work closely with the SMC, parents, teachers and initiatives in schools
community for school improvement. including trainings, student
Take all possible steps to improve the standard of education assessment, monitoring etc.
offered to children.

RIGHTS as an adopter

You are a caregiver, and a friend to the school and community. You will be provided a lot
of support from the Sindh Education Foundation and the Department of Education to
preserve and protect your investment of time and money in the school. However, a mutually
respectful relationship will be ideal in the school, keeping in consideration that the parents,
teachers and community members are the real custodians of the education interventions.
 FAQs
What is the role of SEF in
Is the Adopt-A-School
adoption?
program approved by the government ?
SEF being the focal organization for the
Yes. The Adopt-A-School Program is
program is primarily responsible for facilitating
approved and supported by the
school adoptions and working closely with the
Government of Sindh. A new policy has
adopters and schools to achieve the desired
been approved for expanding the
school improvement outcomes. Other
program and empowering the adopters
responsibilities include creating an interface
further to bring about sustainable
amongst adopters, government and school,
transformation in public schools.
training adopters for School Development
Planning, mobilizing learning resources to
schools, annual school monitoring and student
assessment. SEF will also help adopters to
explore and identify resource mobilization and
networking avenues for strengthening of
adopted schools. When a school is adopted
does the ownership of the
Can the adopter take any action against the school transfer to the adopter?
school staff?
What are the most No. The adoption of a
No. The Adopter cannot take any direct action common requirements school does not entail the
against the school staff in any circumstances. of government schools? handing over of school
The adopter has the right to submit reports property (i.e. building,
against errant staff. Based on the written material etc.) or the
complaints of the adopter, the Department of Poor infrastructural
privatization/
Education is liable to take disciplinary action conditions, missing
denationalization of the
against errant staff. The adopter can also basic facilities
school. Adoption is a
recommend policy level administrative changes (toilets, clean
process by which an
within the government school setup. drinking water),
individual/organization
inadequate
becomes a caregiver or
teaching staff (in
friend so as to improve the
terms of both
overall standard of the
quality and
school.
quantity), poor academic environment, lack of recreation and self
development avenues for both students and teachers are some of
the most pressing concerns faced by the public schools.
Salient Features of the MoU

Government of Sindh intends to upgrade The Government shall ensure that

existing Government schools identified by government teachers are identified and
District Government, into quality schools attend trainings regularly and that the
under its “Adopt-a-School Program”. These adopter is allowed entry into government
schools will be developed by the adopter schools to observe and give follow up
with an overall objective of improving support to teachers participating in the
student learning outcomes through training program.
“School Development Plan.”
The Government shall support the adopter
The Government shall provide funding to in resolving school based issues and
the adopted school through “School problems in coordination with the district
Management Committee” to meet government.
operational expenditures of the school
including utilities of the school.

The District Government shall coordinate with the management of adopted

school and extend all necessary support to ensure that targets are achieved
in the given timeframe.

The District Government shall ensure that teachers and teaching/non-teaching

staff are not altered to the disadvantage of the school.
 Salient Features of the MoU

The adopter shall be responsible for the overall supervision of the adopted
school.

The adopter may hire teaching and non-teaching staff on contract as and
when required with financial obligation on the adopter.

The adopter shall maintain enrollment, retention and examination certification

record of the adopted school as per agreed criteria and shall share periodical
reports with stakeholders.

SEF will be responsible for the overall facilitation and providing any technical
support.

SEF will be the focal organization for program coordination.

SEF will be responsible for improving the quality of the program through
teacher development, curriculum enrichment, school monitoring and student
assessment.

The SEF shall conduct/ facilitate capacity building sessions on school

development planning for adopters as well as district government officials.
How an adopter can make a difference?

The adopter shall provide for the overall

supervision of the adopted school.

The adopter shall serve as patron of the

SMC and must ensure active
participation of the SMC through
teachers and parental involvement. In
case SMC does not exist in the school
the adopter shall establish SMC through
election.

The adopter can hire teaching and

non-teaching staff on contract as and
when required with financial obligation
on the adopter.

The adopter can mobilize material,

financial and human resources for
smooth functioning of school.

The adopter shall ensure that the

“School Development Plan” is
implemented in letter and spirit.
However, any amendment/ alteration
or change in “School Development
Plan” can only be done with the mutual
consent of SEF.
How an adopter can make a difference?

The adopter shall galvanize community

support through SMC for enhancing
enrollment in the school.

The adopter shall ensure enrollment,

retention and examination certification
record of the adopted school as per
agreed criteria and shall share
periodical reports with stakeholders.

The adopter shall work closely with

school level stakeholders for the
betterment of the school especially for
improving the overall quality of
education and particularly creating a
positive impact on students’ learning
outcome.

The adopter can include government

teachers from neighboring government
schools in the teacher training
programs.
 " Empowering

disadvantaged

communities towards
Other initiatives of the
social change by
Sindh Education Foundation
creating and
Child Labor Education Program (CLEP)
Early Learning Program (ELP)
facilitating new
Integrated Education Learning Program (IELP)
Promoting Private Schooling in Rural Sindh
approaches to learning

"
Project (PPRS)
Rural based Community Schools (RBCS)
and education
Project
Women’s Literacy and Empowerment
Program (WLEP)
 The Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) has been working since 1992 to empower disadvantaged
communities of Sindh towards social change by creating and facilitating new approaches
to learning and education. The Foundation works on a diverse portfolio of programs through
promotion of Public, Private and Community Partnerships and seeks to address not only the
goals of Education For All and quality education targets but also create greater ownership
and sustainability of the educational interventions. These objectives are achieved through
provision of employment, entrepreneurship and institutional development opportunities at
the grassroots level. With financial support from the Department of Education and Literacy,
Government of Sindh, the Foundation’s portfolio is continuously expanding to reach out to
over 500,000 beneficiaries through a network of more than 3,000 schools in underserved areas
of Sindh.

The SEF provides regular school support fund, teacher training and salaries, resource material
for enrichment of curriculum and capacity building of the local community bodies in areas
of school establishment and
management. The continued
support to these educational
The Adopt-A-School Program
institutions is a reflection of the
Sindh Education Foundation Foundation’s persistent
Plot 9, Block 7, Kehkashan, Clifton 5, Karachi - 75600 advocacy and efforts for
establishment of effective and
replicable quality education
Phone: (92-21) 111-424-111 models; and represents
Fax: (92-21) 99251652 collective efforts of all our
partners in advancing
Email: [email protected]
educational excellence and
[email protected]
equity in the province.
Website: www.sef.org.pk