January 18, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 17, 1426

KARACHI, Jan 17: The steering committee on reforms of the Sindh education department on Tuesday decided to introduce new mechanisms for the distribution of scholarships and free supply of textbooks among school students throughout the province.

Under the latest changes, role of the district governments would be minimized in the yearly distribution of stipends meant for female students of middle and secondary schools and free distribution of textbooks among primary school students, said a source in the education department, adding that now the education department will have a major role in the disbursement of books and stipends.

The meeting of the Reform Support Unit-Steering Committee (RSU-SC) of the education department was held with Sindh Chief Secretary Fazalur Rehman in the chair. The committee took some decisions aiming at proper and timely utilization of funds and resources made available by the government in the educational sector, added the source.

The Sindh government on Jan 5, 2006, had notified the establishment of a Reform Support Unit in the education department for managing education reforms in Sindh. The major objective of the RSU as defined by the government is to identify the critical issues confronting the education sector and propose suggestions to deal with these issues, install a well-integrated and functional monitoring system through institutional system for tracking the out reach of incentives.

The first meeting of the RSU’s steering committee was also attended by Additional Secretary (Development) Ghulam Sarwar Khehro, Secretary Education Ghulam Ali Pasha, Secretary Finance Malik Israr Hussain, Secretary (GA) of the Services, General Administration and Coordination Abdul Qadir Mangi and Chief Programme Manager, Iqbal Ahmed Durrani.

It was observed in the meeting that the existing system for the distribution of scholarships of Rs1,000 each to female students of middle schools through the heads of schools in the shape of cheques had been problematic due to multiple factors.

Now it has been decided that the RSU would reconfirm the district-wise and school-wise enrolment of the female students in class VI to X through a speedy survey and simultaneously would approach the postal authorities for delivery of stipends to eligible girl students through money orders.

Mr Durrani, the RSU Manager told Dawn that the process of distribution of scholarships for increase in girls’ education would start within a month and students would be informed in an elaborate manner through advertisements. The stipend amounts will be handed over to students in question in quarterly instalments from the next financial year, but for the current year it has been decided to give an annual grant of Rs1,000 per student, he added.

It was further learnt that the new mechanism for distribution of free textbooks basically involved direct payment of money to the Sindh Textbook Board from the Sindh education department, instead of disbursing the amount to district education departments which in turn used to furnish orders to the STB and pass on the received books to school heads for distribution among students.

The manger of the unit said that the new process was being implemented for cutting on extra channels and bringing in efficiency.

“On receipt of books the RSU will facilitate transfer of textbooks at each taluka under the supervision of each divisional deputy programme manager and subsequently delivery from taluka to school level and to each child”, he added saying that the entire drill would be verified through the offices of district educational management and information system.

The steering committee also resolved that the performance of district education staff, especially EDOs and DOs be closely monitored by the RSU and posting and transfers must be linked to their objective performance on carrying forward the reforms.