KARACHI, Jan 20: The national steering committee of provincial education secretaries has called upon the federal government to provide funds to the provinces, as agreed under the Educational Sector Reforms (ESR) programme.

The body, which met on Monday with the federal secretary, Education, Tariq Farooq, expressed concern over the non-availability of ESR funds, and feared that a huge amount already spent on different ESR schemes during the last two years would go down the drain, in case the government backed out, sources privy to the meeting said.

It was learnt that the federal government had initiated a three-year educational reforms programme, a couple of months back, under which an amount to the tune of Rs2 billion had been provided to the provinces in 2001 and 2002, while in the case of 2002-2003, the provinces had yet not been given the amount.

Schemes pertaining to shelterless schools, non-formal education and literacy centres, and for revamping or streamlining of education at different levels were covered under the ESR umbrella.

It was learnt that some of the participants were of the view that the issue should be reviewed at an authorised forum and the verdict should come whether the funding of different projects was a responsibility of the federal government or that of the provinces.

The education secretaries from Punjab and Sindh maintained that if the provinces were not provided with the promised ESR fund, it would be difficult, both for the provincial and the district governments, to implement the schemes, already agreed upon by the federal and provincial governments.

The federal secretary of education assured that a workable formula would be evolved to resolve the issue.

The joint forum of federal and provincial governments was told that books had been prepared by the National Institute of Science and Technical Education for four subjects, including wood works, dress designing, computer hardware and automobile, which were to be introduced at secondary school level. The meeting decided that the books prepared for the technical education be translated in Sindhi and Urdu as well.

The Sindh education secretary stressed the need for establishing a holistic separate scheme for the technical education at secondary level, similar to the science and commerce faculties.

After being briefed about the status of compulsory primary education and free education at schools in different provinces, the chair appreciated the approaches and actions taken so far by Sindh, Punjab and the NWFP, and asked the representative of the Balochistan government to follow the suit.

The Sindh representatives told the meeting that a three phased mechanism had been adopted in regard to the implementation of the Compulsory Primary Education Ordinance and the first phase, covering 20 Talukas, out of 102, was nearing to completion. Sindh would achieve the targets of compulsory primary education by the academic year, 2004-2005, the secretary education, Nazar Hussain Mahar, informed the meeting.

The Punjab government representative said that they had promulgated the ordinance in question, while strategy for its implementation was being formulated.

The meeting, which was joined by the Sindh chief secretary in the end, also discussed the use of radio receivers for educational purposes, establishment of polytechnic institutes, revamping of the secondary education at the secondary school level and non-formal education.

It was the considered opinion of the steering committee that the executive district officers (education) be empowered financially and administratively at the district level, in order to ensure quick actions in the related matters.

The federal secretary, education, apprised the participants about the presidential directive regarding the empowerment of the EDOs and urged the provincial governments to implement the directives in letter and spirit to avoid delays, which were encountered at grass root level.

While deliberating on mass education and non-formal education system, some of the participants were critical about the use of about 25,000 satellite receivers, being provided under USAID to rural areas. The radio sets would be used by teachers for educational training purposes, it was learnt.

The meeting decided that a well thought out broadcasting material, based on the syllabus of the students be first devised for the distant leaning through satellite.

The Sindh government representative stressed for a decentralized policy for selection and identification of the location of the non-formal schools and provinces should decided in this regard.