National Conference on Decentralization in Education was organized with the support of UNICEF Pakistan, HANDS, and Sukkur IBA University, bringing together key stakeholders to share experiences from the STA-DEEP initiative, identify best practices in decentralization, and encourage collaboration for improved local education management. Discussions covered key themes such as teacher empowerment, financial management, and the role of technology in education.

The conference featured 20 paper presentations covering various topics, including decentralization in service delivery, AI in personalized learning, and policy synchronization. Presentations on the Sindh Technical Assistance Component were delivered by UNICEF Leads Daman Bozdar, Zeeshan Zafar (Micro Merger), Dr. Parvez Pirzado (UNICEF), and Dr. Sumera Umrani, focusing on technical support provided to the Sindh Education and Literacy Department for data integration, planning, and resource allocation.

Keynote addresses were delivered by Dr. Shaikh Tanveer Ahmed (CEO HANDS), Zahid Ali Abbasi (Secretary Education, Sindh), and Dr. Kaiser Bengali (Senior Economist), emphasizing the role of decentralization in improving education service delivery.

Session chairs Dr. Abuzar Wajidi, Professor Ayesha Mehnaz, and Dr. Zafarullah Sahito provided insightful remarks following the presentations, highlighting the significance of decentralized governance in education and its potential to improve school leadership and management.

A panel discussion was also held, featuring experts such as Mr. Zaheer Abbas Chang, SE&LD Representative, Ms. Abeer Maqbool, Education Manager, UNICEF Sindh,

Dr. Rana Hussain, Educationist, Dr. Fatima Dar, Researcher, and Dr. Sajid Ali, Academician, who discussed the future of decentralized education and shared perspectives on overcoming challenges in the sector.

The conference concluded with closing remarks by Prem Chand Bahadur (UNICEF Chief of Field Office Sindh) and Ms. Sharmeela Rasool (UNICEF Deputy Representative), who emphasized the importance of innovation in shaping the future of education. The insights from key experts, presenters, and session chairs reinforced the critical role of collaboration and technology in advancing education reforms.

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