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KARACHI, July 31, 2026: The Sindh government has partnered with the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) to improve inclusive education for children with disabilities through a five-year initiative focused on teacher training, research, and policy development.
The Sindh Cabinet approved the partnership, while the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the Chief Minister House in Karachi in the presence of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
Under the agreement, the partners will establish an Inclusion and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Unit at AKU-IED. The facility will serve as a hub for teacher training, research, and innovation. It will also include sensory rooms, therapy spaces, and resource centers.
The initiative aims to train more than 2,000 educators over the next five years. Through these trained teachers, the program expects to benefit around 500,000 schoolchildren across Sindh.
According to UNICEF, about 96% of children with disabilities in Pakistan are out of school. Sindh alone has around 7.4 million out-of-school children, with disability, poverty, gender inequality, and limited accessibility remaining major barriers to education.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah described the agreement as a commitment to ensuring that children with disabilities receive equal opportunities to learn and achieve their potential.
Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD), Tuaha Ahmed Faruqui, said the initiative marks a significant step toward making children with disabilities an integral part of the education system.
AKU-IED will introduce modular courses, Training-of-Trainers (ToT) programs, and certification pathways for educators. It will also offer a specialization in inclusive education through its Bachelor of Education degree, supported by monthly stipends.
Furthermore, the partnership will launch province-wide research, baseline assessments, policy evaluations, and annual policy commissions to support evidence-based decision-making. It will also organize biennial SEN conferences, policy seminars, and public awareness campaigns to promote disability inclusion.
Professor Farid Panjwani, Dean of AKU-IED, said the initiative goes beyond institutional collaboration and represents a commitment to building an education system where every child feels seen, supported, and empowered.
The Sindh government will provide grant funding, while AKU-IED will contribute technical expertise and institutional resources. The partners will also develop a long-term roadmap to sustain the initiative beyond the initial five-year period.
AKU President Dr. Sulaiman Shahabuddin said the partnership will help schools and teachers better support children with special educational needs and ensure they have equal opportunities to succeed.
