May 29, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 23, 1429

HYDERABAD, May 28: Sindh Minister for Education Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq has said that the government, after lifting ban student unions, is also withdrawing a petition from the Sindh High Court against teachers’ associations.

The minister said at an award-distribution ceremony and “Rooh Rehan” programme jointly organised by the Alumni of Government College Kali Mori and Sindh Manak Moti Tanzeem, an NGO, late on Tuesday night, that the outgoing government had spent Rs6 million on the case against teacher’s unions.

He praised the role of student unions in the past and said they produced leadership for the country and he himself was its product. The extent of destruction of education in the province could be gauged from the fact that half of 15,000 closed schools of the country were in Sindh, he said.

He said that the present government was pursuing a policy of moral uplift of teachers, especially those serving in primary schools, because they produced the cream of the nation.

Mr Haq said that the government would focus on social and moral uplift of teachers for which teachers association should come forward. The government intended to post teachers in embassies as education counsellors and attaches, he said.

He expressed disappointment over indiscipline during the function and said that he was visiting the college after 44 years. Today facilities were available but the standard of education was on the decline while in past the institutions were producing talent despite lack of facilities, he remarked.

He said that he had issued directives for declaring results of IBA Sukkur, which had been withheld and said that in past education department was being run by inept officials but now it would show improvement.

APP adds: Mr Haq said on the sidelines of a function marking the 9th death anniversary of late Khan Muhammad Panhwar at Sindh Museum the same day that the government had issued directives for making 7,500 closed and ghost schools functional within 15 days, and taking punitive action against ghost teachers.

He said that the government would never compromise on education and was fully committed to provide quality education to children and youth in order to make the province stable and prosperous.

Mr Haq warned that teachers who would not cooperate with the government would be dismissed.

To a question about the murder of a student in the University of Sindh, he expressed his grief and said that the elements, who were playing with the lives of students, must be taken to task.

He said that he had held meetings with the university’s vice-chancellor on maintenance of law and order on the campus and expressed satisfaction over the university’s measures to ensure peaceful atmosphere in the university.

About the affairs of Sindh Text Book Board, the minister said that directives had already been issued for a detailed enquiry into allegations of embezzlement of funds, corruption and malpractices committed by the board officials.

To another question, he said that transfers and postings being carried out in the education department aimed at bringing about positive changes in the department and promote quality education. All the transfers and postings were being made purely on merit, he said.