KARACHI, Nov 22: Sindh Education and Literacy Department has moved to fill vacancies of college teachers against the budgeted positions on a two-year contract basis, said official sources.

These positions have been lying vacant for years and due to the shortage of teaching staff at various collages had created a crisis-like situation over the past four years as, on the initiatives of the city government Karachi, more than 30 colleges have been made operational in this city alone.

Despite repeated promises, the education department has failed to take appropriate steps to address the problem. In Karachi, some 800-900 teachers are needed to be posted in various colleges, both old and new ones.

The shortage of teachers was discussed on Wednesday at a meeting of senior officers of the department.

It was chaired by Sindh Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro, who, according to a communication, took notice of the situation and ordered immediate steps in this regard. She directed that the vacancies be filled initially on a two-year contract.

She also asked the officials concerned to prepare a summary at the earliest for seeking the chief minister’s approval. Secretary Education Sabhago Khan Jatoi also attended the meeting.

Provincial Education Manager (Colleges) Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh apprised the minister of the shortage of college teachers of various subjects in all five regions -- Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Larkana and Sukkur.

He maintained that the shortage had deepened to the extent of a crisis due to the ban on recruitment that prevailed in the province for many years.

Dr Shaikh argued that the establishment of many new colleges and revival of some old ones in Karachi and the interior of Sindh had added to the problem as the corresponding number of teachers had not been appointed on a regular basis.

He pointed out that since 2001, the city and district governments had been making efforts to meet the shortage through ad hoc arrangements as they controlled the college education from the said year up to June 30, 2006.

According to Mr Shaikh, about 1,500 posts of teaching faculty are laying vacant in colleges across Sindh. He blamed the situation for the deteriorating education standards in the province.

He suggested that education department be allowed to fill the vacant budgeted posts in various grades initially on a contract basis for a period of two years while the case of recruitment on a regular basis against these vacancies be referred to the Sindh Public Service Commission.