KARACHI, Jan 17: The Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy, Dr Hamida Khuhro, has reiterated her commitment to improve the quality of education in the province

; however, adding that she was facing hurdles from the bureaucracy in the development of educational institutions.

Speaking at the 117th foundation anniversary of the D.J. Sindh Government Science College, the minister announced that soon a monitoring system aimed at maintaining a check and balance on education in the public sector would be in vogue to help ensure quality education.

She pointed out that the D.J. Science College was founded in 1884 through philanthropic efforts of Dewan Daya Ram Jethmal with the help of Shahani family's, Dewan Gidu Mal, when there was no college for graduation in Sindh.

The minister stated that the college gave a great boost to the intellectual life of Sindh. "People who got education here later played a very important and leading role in each and every walk of life," she remarked.

She quoted her father Khan Bahadur Muhammad Ayub Khuhro, who, after getting education from the D.J. College, served Sindh as chief minister. The education minister said that in recent years, the education in this province had fallen below mark and was under hard criticism.

She lamented that the colleges, which played a vital role in the intellectual development of Sindh, had lost their credibility. Dr Khuhro said that there was a tendency among many teachers not to perform their duties with commitment and dedication. She was of the view that this had come to the fore in the wake of the increasing trend of private tuition.

Dr Hamida urged renewed commitment to improve the situation in education sector and announced that a strict monitoring system would be introduced. She assured the Djarians that she would talk to authorities for repair and maintenance of the building of the college.

It was also mentioned on the occasion that the provincial government on the directive of the former Sindh governor had sanctioned Rs10 million for the repair and maintenance of the D.J. Science College building, but work had not started yet.

The minister expressed her desire to give the D.J. College the status of a city university and hoped that after repair works, people would come to see this beautiful building. The president of the D.J. Old Students Association, Col Athar, and the college principal, Dr Ravi Shankar, also spoke. -- APP/PPI