KARACHI, July 14: The European Union has provided a grant of 39 million euros (Rs3 billion) to Sindh for the promotion of education in the province. This was stated by the Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy, Dr Hamida Khuhro. She was speaking to the district education officials at the Planning and Development Department.
The minister asked the district heads of education to come up with a real picture of education system, enabling the government to plan for educational reforms.
She appreciated efforts of the department officials regarding enrolment drive being launched in August.
The minister said that funds provided to the education sector had not been utilized timely and a huge chunk of these funds lapsed unutilized.
She said after the cancellation of detailments, the Executive District Officers in a meeting couple of months back reported about refunctioning of around 3,500 closed schools.
“Many schools in towns and urban areas have surplus teachers while those in remote areas are without teachers,” she deplored.
She directed the Executive District Officers to prepare a re-deployment plan of teachers to ensure availability of teachers to each school as per requirement of children.
Dr Khuhro in this regard assured that no political pressure would be accepted.
Some Executive District Officers also complained that the teacher unions were creating hindrances in the transfer of teachers.
The minister made it clear that those teachers who do not perform their duties will be dismissed.
She announced that the European Union has provided a grant of Euro 39 million (Rs 3 billion) for the promotion of education in Sindh and said out of the grant Rs 2 billion will be placed at district level education sector to provide missing facilities to schools, including adequate class rooms, furniture, electricity and potable water etc.
Dr Khuhro said the remaining Rs 1 billion of European Union’s grant would be utilised at provincial level to strengthen the data, planning and other requirements.
She directed the Executive District Officers to ensure teaching of science and mathematics subjects in English from Class VIII.
The education minister also asked them to engage themselves into teaching process at lower level and promote activity-based teaching.
The minister also called for proper distribution of free textbooks among students of primary schools and stipend of Rs100 to each girl students of primary schools located in rural areas of the province.
Sindh Secretary Education Hashim Leghari, Special Secretary Education Iqbal Durrani, Additional Secretaries Dr Mehboob Ali Shaikh, Tufail Jumani and Dr Nawaz Shaikh also attended the meeting.—PPI/APP
