KARACHI, June 30: A summary has been formulated for reorganization of the Sindh Education Department with focus on compulsory primary education in context of quality as well as accessibility along with the provision for extensive teachers training programmes. Sindh Education Secretary Hashim Leghari speaking at the certificate distribution ceremony of the National Teachers Training Programme held at the National Resource Centre (DUHS) here on Thursday said that the basic aim of the very strategy would be to raise the primary enrolment rate from 50 to 80 per cent by 2007.

The education department under its education for all programme, has embarked upon an ambitious scheme to enhance primary enrolment from 3,319,874 in the year 2005 to 7,167,359 by 2015, he claimed.

Reiterating the fact that sound primary education forms the basis for competent human resource, Mr Leghari said the government was absolutely committed with strong political will to not only ensure compulsory primary education for all children of the province but also to ensure that they continue with their secondary level education and provided all opportunities to seek vocational training and higher education in accordance to their respective capabilities.

He said that our target included the rehabilitation and provision of facilities and upgrading of primary schools to the middle level.

Mr Leghari further said that English would be made compulsory from class one.

He mentioned that the Unicef, USAID, European Commission and Asian Development Bank were supporting education reforms in Sindh adding that thrust was to plug the gaps through increase in annual development programme allocations.

Not only 6,000 new schools have been identified to be opened in villages and mohallas where there are no schools and shelter less schools to be provided with shelter but appointment of teachers purely on merit basis is also part of the strategy along with provision for free books and uniforms to students up to class ten, he elaborated.

The secretary said that a plan had already been chalked out to address the issue and to make the closed schools functional besides bringing the technical institutions under one umbrella functioning in education, labour and social welfare departments.—APP