More than 14,000 educational institutions across Sindh, severely damaged during the devastating floods of 2022, are still awaiting restoration, highlighting the slow pace of recovery in the province’s education sector. This pressing issue was brought to the forefront during a comprehensive review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, where officials provided updates on the ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.
The meeting, convened at the Chief Minister’s House, included key figures such as Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, School Education Secretary Zahid Abbasi, Secretary to the Chief Minister Asif Jameel, and other senior bureaucrats. Their discussions focused on assessing progress and identifying bottlenecks in the restoration of schools affected by the floods that wreaked havoc across the province.
the detailed briefing, a total of 19,808 schools in Sindh suffered damage due to the floods. Out of these, only 5,465 schools have been incorporated into active reconstruction and repair plans, leaving a staggering 14,343 schools still pending restoration. The schools currently under rehabilitation include 2,268 that were completely destroyed and another 3,197 that sustained partial damage, underscoring the scale of devastation faced by the education infrastructure.
The ongoing restoration projects, supported by a combination of provincial, federal, and international donor funding, aim to reinstate educational access for over 1.4 million students affected by the floods. These efforts are critical to ensuring that children across Sindh can return to safe and functional learning environments, which remain disrupted in many flood-hit areas.
Financially, the government has allocated substantial resources to this cause. Officials revealed that 5,369 schools are part of major reconstruction initiatives with an estimated cost of Rs167 billion. To date, approximately Rs63.95 billion has been disbursed, facilitating the completion of repairs at 2,114 schools under various schemes. This reflects a considerable investment but also highlights the long road ahead to fully rehabilitate all affected institutions.
Under the provincial Annual Development Programme (ADP), reconstruction work has commenced on 2,405 schools, with 617 already completed. However, the remaining projects under this scheme are projected to continue until June 2027, indicating a multi-year commitment to rebuilding the education sector. Additionally, 938 schools have been repaired under the Maintenance and Repair programmes for the fiscal years 2022-23 and 2024-25, with these particular schemes now concluded.
International and federal support plays a significant role in these efforts. The Sindh School Education Investment Programme (SSEIP), which includes a flood-affected component, covers 805 schools and aims to complete reconstruction by June 2027. Meanwhile, the federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) is tasked with rebuilding 481 schools that were completely destroyed, with 37 schools already restored and the overall project expected to finish by December 2026.
Moreover, international partners such as the European Union and UNICEF have contributed to the recovery process, having rehabilitated 173 schools so far. Other donor-supported projects, including DEEP, SELECT, ASPIRE, SID, and those backed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), are also actively involved in supporting Sindh’s education sector recovery.
The Chief Minister was also presented with a detailed breakdown of flood damage by division and district, revealing that Hyderabad division bore the brunt with 1,254 affected schools. It was followed closely by Larkana with 1,218, Sukkur with 1,070, Shaheed Benazirabad with 894, Mirpurkhas with 724, and Karachi with 305 damaged schools. At the district level, Khairpur emerged as the worst-hit area with 730 schools damaged, followed by Naushehro Feroze (494), Larkana (343), Kambar-Shahdadkot (294), Mirpurkhas (277), and Umerkot (238).
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah emphasized the importance of using this granular, district-wise data to prioritize funding and ensure that reconstruction efforts are aligned with the areas most in need. He underlined that every damaged school represents a disruption in the education of children and called for an acceleration of rebuilding activities. The goal is to restore full educational services throughout Sindh as swiftly as possible, mitigating the long-term impact of the floods on the province’s youth.
As Sindh continues to grapple with the aftermath of the 2022 floods, the restoration of schools remains a critical challenge. The collaborative efforts of provincial authorities, federal agencies, and international donors are vital to reviving the education sector and providing children with the safe learning environments they deserve.
