The Sindh government, in a move to strengthen the education system in the province, has set a target of 0.8 million new students in government schools.
Moreover, Minister for Education and Mines & Minerals Development Syed Sardar Ali Shah has stated that the monitoring system regarding teacher attendance in Sindh is being made more effective. He warned that strict action will be taken against teachers who are absent and do not teach students.
The minister expressed these views while speaking to media representatives after leading a rally in the Malir district on Friday. The rally was organised by the Sindh Education Department in connection with the admission drive. It took place from the Government Razaqabad College to Government Girls Primary School Razaqabad.
Secretary Education Zahid Ali Abbasi, social activist Shahzad Roy, MPA Sajid Jokhio, MPA Raja Razzak, MPA Yusuf Murtaza Baloch, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Saleem Baloch, and other local leaders of the Peoples Party participated in the event. Representatives from UNICEF, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and other international organisations also attended.
During the awareness rally, participants carried banners and placards highlighting the importance of education. They chanted slogans like “Parhay Ga Sindh, Barhay Ga Sindh”. Minister Sardar Ali Shah led the rally alongside students and participants.
He said that the Sindh Education Department has started the admission drive, as part of its efforts to boost education accessibility and enrolment rates in the province. He emphasized that education is a fundamental right according to the Constitution. He added that it is the state’s responsibility to educate children between 5 and 16 years old, and parents share this responsibility with the state.
This year, the government aims to increase new enrolment in government schools by eight to nine hundred thousand. Currently, 5.2 million children are studying. The minister ensured that no school in Sindh is closed due to a lack of teachers now, and efforts are being made to recruit good teachers. He warned that absent teachers who fail to teach will not be tolerated.
He announced plans to start planting trees in schools, making headmasters responsible for this initiative. Regarding textbooks, he acknowledged challenges but confirmed that books had been delivered to 138 Talukas. He committed to personally monitoring book distribution and visiting schools, book markets, and shops too.
To address heat and electricity issues in schools, the government is working on a solarization project. Later, the minister launched a school tree plantation campaign by planting saplings in the school premises.
Published in News Daily on 17-August-2024.
