11 April 2005 Monday 01 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426 KARACHI: Enrolment drive to be launched in August KARACHI, April 10: The Sindh education department has decided to launch a month-long drive for enhancing enrolment in schools and to observe August as an ‘Enrolment Month’ during which textbooks would be distributed free of cost among the students up to intermediate. The decision was taken at a meeting held here on Saturday at the office of Sindh education foundation. Sindh Education Secretary Mohammad Hashim Leghari presided over the meeting. Chairman, Sindh Textbook Board, Prof Aziz Mehranvi presenting a report on publication of books, informed the meeting that the textbooks to be provided to the students of class one to five had been published besides books of English language subject to be taught from class one had also been prepared. “All these books would be made available during the August campaign,” he told. The secretary directed the officials to prepare a plan for distribution of free textbooks and also directed all the district heads of education department to submit him the details of existing enrolment of students from class six to twelve. The meeting decided to launch the enrolment drive from August 1 to 30. Mr Leghari asked for preparing a plan in this respect seeking cooperation of nazims, councillors, NGOs, community-based organizations, boy scouts, girl guides and notables of the respective areas. The secretary said a committee would be constituted to supervise and monitor the entire process. He also asked the executive district officers of education to submit proposals for introducing IT as compulsory subject at intermediate level. Mr Leghari said that the decision would be implemented after setting up of computer labs at all the colleges and higher secondary schools of Sindh. He suggested constituting boards of governors at all the ideal colleges and schools to monitor and maintain the quality of education and asked the EDOs to point out such institutions along with names proposed for board of governors. Special Secretary, Education, Abdul Qadir Mangi, Additional Secretaries, Tufail Ahmed Jumani, Iqbal Durani, Secretary, Sindhi Adabi Board, Inam Shaikh and other officials attended the meeting.—PPI

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