HYDERABAD, May 25: Sindh Education Minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat has said the government has launched a 12-year programme to bring about reforms in the education sector and allocated Rs611.024 million for this purpose.
Speaking at a seminar on Public Service Delivery in Education Sector at a hotel here on Saturday, he said the programme was aimed at increasing enrolment of children and improving the standard of education in government schools.
He regretted that Rs450million had been allocated for 3,200 School Management Committees (SMCs) to ensure public participation in running government schools but the committees did not utilize the funds properly.
He said he had ordered an inquiry into the embezzlement of funds in the education department through the Anti-Corruption Establishment and added that action would be taken against those found guilty. He said inefficient and ghost employees of the department would also be taken to task.
The minister informed the participants that the education department had also launched the Decentralization of Elementary Education Programme (DEEP) for which the US Aid would provide Rs4538.124 million and Rs1341.876 million would be provided by the Sindh government.
He said upgradation of 1,200 primary schools to elementary schools, establishment of 204 English-medium schools and 100 shelterless schools, introduction of pre-primary education in 1,000 schools and distribution of free textbooks among girl students of class VI to VIII had been planned under the DEEP. Besides this, stipend for deserving girls, scholarships for girl students, fund for skill development for students of class VI to VIII and training to 5,000 new teachers would also be provided under this programme.
Mr Marwat said more than Rs19 billion would be earmarked in the next financial budget for the education sector to achieve 60 per cent literacy rate and improve the quality of education.
He disclosed that recruitment in the education department would be made on local basis and rules in this regard would be relaxed.
He said seminars would be organized in all the districts to create awareness and better understanding between the education department and the local government.
In his speech, the Sindh secretary for education, Ghulam Ali Shah Pasha, said out of Rs611.024 million, allocated under the reforms programme, Rs282.852 million would be utilized on rehabilitation of primary schools, Rs94.285 million on teachers’ training resource centres, Rs18.900 million on revamping of science education at secondary level, Rs37.710 million on adult literacy, Rs71.950 million on introduction of technical stream in the province, Rs52.710 million on rehabilitation of elementary schools and the remaining amount would be utilized to improve the quality of education.
He said Rs581.07 million were released to DCOs for implementation of schemes mandated by the federal government.
Speaking at the concluding session of the seminar, the education minister said the Sindh Local Government Ordinance would be amended to provide financial as well as administrative powers to education officers at district and taluka levels.
He said more than 2,000 closed schools and many colleges would be reopened. He said comprehensive training would be given to teachers and SMCs.
He told the seminar that the government was planning to introduce “O” level in government schools to raise the standard of government schools.
Mr Marwat said the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and donor agencies of Japan and Canada had offered not only financial assistance but were also monitoring ongoing development schemes.
Later, talking to officers of various departments at the Hyderabad DCO house, the minister said initially three districts, including Tharparkar, would be selected as model districts to improve the education system.
He said a public awareness campaign was also being launched in the province for the success of the programme.
The seminar, which was organized by the Sindh Education and Literacy Department, was attended by Nazims of various councils and activists of NGOs.
