Sindh PPP Policy Board Approves Outsourcing 750 Public Schools

What Happened

During its 53rd meeting, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Policy Board of the Sindh government, presided over by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, approved the outsourcing of 750 public schools to private parties [1, 2]. This initiative is part of Phase-II and involves 10-year service management contracts following a three-month preparatory period [2].

The schools are being outsourced under three specific programmes:

• Sindh Secondary Education Improvement Project (SSEIP): 453 schools, consisting of 401 under additional financing and 52 under original financing [1, 2].
• Sindh Early Learning Enhancement through Classroom Transformation (SELECT): 295 schools [1, 2].
• Peoples Schools initiative: Two English-medium schools [1, 2].

To implement this, the board approved the formation of a Technical and Financial Evaluation Committee. The selection process will involve open national competitive bidding through the e-PADS platform using Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) [1, 2].

Private operators, known as Education Management Organisations (EMOs), will be responsible for several duties, including:

• Paying teachers’ salaries
• Managing non-teaching staff
• Covering operational expenses
• Providing uniforms and stationery
• Managing other essential services [1, 2].

The provincial government will provide the necessary funding [1]. This model follows the Education Management Organisation model introduced in 2015 under the Sindh PPP Act 2010, which originally began with 106 schools rebuilt by USAID after the 2010 floods [1].

Other major decisions made during the meeting include:

• Approving a revised joint venture model for the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone (SEZ) involving 1,171 acres of land [1, 2].
• Approving Rs2 billion in bridge financing for the Ghotki-Kandhkot Bridge [1, 2].
• Approving the concept for the Karachi Financial Centre and the development of Keti Bandar as a maritime and industrial hub [1, 2].
• Approving the proposed PPP structure for the Sindh Institute of Teacher Education (SITE) in Karachi, based on a proposal from M/s Durbeen [1, 2, 3].
• Approving a KDA Parking Plaza near Ziauddin Hospital in Clifton Block-2 with an estimated cost of Rs1.61 billion [3].

Who Is Affected

The school outsourcing affects 188,852 currently enrolled students across the 750 schools [1, 2]. These schools have a combined total capacity of 345,940 students [1, 2]. The projects also impact various regions including Karachi, Ghotki, Kandhkot, Sukkur, and Keti Bandar [1, 2].