Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday launched the Student Attendance Monitoring and Redress System (SAMRS), describing it as a “pioneering, transformative, and nationally replicable model” that puts technology and evidence-based planning at the core of education reform, according to an official statement.
Speaking at the provincial launch ceremony held at a local hotel, the chief minister said SAMRS marked the first time that Sindh — or any province in Pakistan — had introduced an integrated digital platform linking student attendance, school infrastructure, teacher performance, and learning outcomes.
“This is not just a monitoring tool,” CM Murad said. “It is a system that allows us to make decisions grounded in data rather than assumptions. It provides the clarity to identify the challenges our children face and the ability to respond quickly and effectively.”
The ceremony was attended by provincial Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, the World Bank Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar, senior representatives of Unicef, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Asian Development Bank (ADB), British Council, JICA, officials of the School Education and Literacy Department (SELD), education experts, and development partners.
The chief minister emphasised that SAMRS had already gone live in 600 schools across 12 districts, with expansion in progress in four more districts through a Unicef-supported initiative. He stated that the system was designed not only to track absenteeism but also to predict dropout risks, suggest interventions, and enhance overall school management.
“SAMRS is a model that Pakistan can follow,” he said. “We are institutionalising it through a new policy that ensures long-term sustainability, ownership, and integration with Sindh’s education governance framework.”
He expressed gratitude to the World Bank, GPE, and all development partners for their “trust, technical guidance, and unwavering support” in strengthening public education in Sindh. The CM also praised the School Education Department, the Reform Support Unit (RSU), and the SELECT Project team for their “innovation, dedication, and perseverance.”
CM Murad highlighted the importance of linking education with health, nutrition, and child protection, urging partners to explore the integration of SAMRS with child immunisation programs, health screenings, and social safety systems.
“Schools must be more than classrooms,” he said. “They must become centres of child well-being and community trust.”
In his address, Education Minister Sardar Shah called SAMRS a “game-changer,” constructing a digital ecosystem where attendance, performance, and school infrastructure data come together to guide decisions.
“With support from Nadra, student identities are now shifting from system-generated IDs to verified B-Form numbers – ensuring every child in Sindh is counted and supported,” he said.
He noted that 99% of schools using SAMRS reported attendance, and 92% implemented redress procedures, a significant step toward reducing dropouts.
World Bank Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar, on the occasion, stated that SAMRS was not a donor-driven project but was planned by the Sindh government. “It is not a student’s attendance system, but it is a commitment of the provincial government to improve education.”
