July 07, 2008	Monday	Rajab 3, 1429

HYDERABAD, July 6: Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq has said that he has done away with all kinds of quotas in teachers’ jobs and decided not to succumb to any pressure over appointment of primary school teachers.

Speaking to journalists at the press club on Saturday night, the senior minister said that neither he nor any member of provincial or national assemblies would have any quota in teachers’ jobs.

He said that education system in the province had been in ruins. The 15,000 closed schools still remained non-functional because most of them had been established without looking into their viability, he said.

He said that the teachers who had passed IBA-conducted job tests would now be given jobs and alleged that the previous government had made changes in results after sending data to the World Bank (WB), which had sponsored a literacy programme.

He said that teachers would be imparted training to improve their skills and around 50,000 to 100,000 youths would be imparted training and given stipend under Benazir Bhutto’s youth programme.

The minister admitted that corruption in the education department was unprecedented, which he had never even heard of in past. He was gathering reports about officers who had been repeatedly warned but failed to desist from corrupt practices. He would not spare anyone if found guilty, he warned.

He said that no teacher would be victimised for his political leanings and informed that a summary had been submitted to the chief minister for withdrawal of an appeal against the decision of Sindh High Court on lifting ban on teachers’ unions.

He said that he had formed an advisory committee tasked with reviewing syllabus and including the chapters that had earlier been excluded. Such chapters also included verses of Mirza Qaleech Baig, he said.

About handing over Government Muslim Primary School to a builder purportedly under his order, he asked the EDO of education to lodge an FIR and submit to him a report.

To a question about reports of construction of more shops around Noor Mohammad High School under his order, the minister denied he had issued any such directive.

He said that the school buildings, which had been occupied by Rangers would be vacated as the matter had been taken up with adviser to prime minister on interior.

Earlier, the minister, accompanied by vice-chairman of Sindhi Adabi Board Shaikh Aziz and others, laid a floral wreath on the grave of Mirza Qaleech Baig on Saturday evening to mark his 79th death anniversary.

REFERENCE: The minister said at a literary reference marking the 79th death anniversary of Mirza Qaleech Baig at Dr Nabi Bux Baloch hall in Sindhi Language Authority that late Baig was a genius who knew 26 languages and wrote 457 books in different languages on history, civilisation and literature.

He announced Mirza Qaleech Baig award and directed officials of Sindhi Adabi Board (SAB) to ensure publication of his books in consultation with writers.