KARACHI, Aug 8: Sindh Education Minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat has said that 700 teachers are under training at the Pilot Training Institute for Teachers (PTIT).

The minister said that the institute was established in Nawabshah with Rs360 million assistance from Asian Development Bank, but no training programme had been conducted there for eight years.

He said that the present government made this institute functional and 163 teachers were sent for training there last year and with its efforts now there were 700 teachers under training.

He disclosed this while speaking as chief guest at the certificate distribution ceremony at Education Foundation Campus, PECHS here the other day.

The minister said that the government had decided that teachers would not be promoted unless they had undergone training. The education department would soon be issuing a notification in this regard while a training programme for teachers had also been prepared, he added.

According to a report of education department, he said that educational activities had been started in 5,000 schools and these, otherwise, closed schools had been re-opened. However, according to a report of the World Bank, around 2,400 schools had been reopened.

The minister said that a new project was being started with the cooperation of Asian Development Bank at a cost of Rs580 million. He said 40 per cent of this amount would be spent on higher training of teachers to impart higher education to students in government schools.

Mr Marwat said that the government had allocated increased funds for universalization of education and earmarked Rs21 billion this year. He warned that if good results were not produced, action would be taken against responsible officers of education department.

Speaking on the occasion, Project Director Education Foundation Farhana Iqbal said this project was started in 1998 and was being run under a trustee board.

Under the project, students of kutchi abadis were imparted free education, scholarship and technical education. Besides, poor children were also imparted technical education and different courses were conducted for them so that they could run their own business, she added.

However, Ms Farhana said that the certificates awarded by the foundation to students were not recognized by the government and sought help of the minister in this regard.

Mr Marwat assured that education department would issue a letter in connection with the foundation’s certificate and the same would be recognized by all the departments.—APP