HYDERABAD, Nov 22: District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil has directed the management of the district education department to conduct a survey to identify closed schools.

At a briefing on the district education department at the EDO’s office here on Monday, he directed officials of the department to make closed schools functional within shortest possible time to ensure education for all in the district.

He said that soon after assuming the charge, he had got 18 closed schools functional in the Hyderabad taluka (rural) under the ESRA programme. He said there still were many villages where schools were closed and buildings were being used by influential people of the area.

The nazim said overstaffing and ghost employees were another problem leading to substandard education in government schools. He said employees not working hard in government schools performed well in private schools after retirement which showed that talent and ability was there but it was without sincerity in government institutions which were the only means of service to poor people. He said due to apathy of teachers in government schools, people were looking towards private schools. He said this practice had created a wide gap between the haves and have nots.

He said it was a challenge for teachers and the district government to restore confidence of people in government institutions. As such, he added, the district government was planning to change the system by introducing reforms to increase capacity building of government schools and bring them at par with private schools.

He asked the EDO, education, to prepare a micro plan for providing facilities of staff, equipment, electricity and drinking water to each school in the district.

Mr Jamil said that in addition to obtaining funds from donor organizations, the district government had also decided to utilize its funds to streamline the education system.