July 24, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 20, 1429

KARACHI, July 23: Fourteen thousand teachers will be recruited on merit in different schools of Sindh to overcome the staff shortage and strengthen the education system.

This was stated by Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Pir Mazharul Haq while addressing a news conference in his office on Wednesday.

He said the posts would be advertised soon and it would be decided if tests for the job be conducted through the Institute of Business Administration, Sukkur, because of its sound reputation.

The minister pointed out that a three-year agreement was reached with the World Bank under its development policy credit. The bank extended a very soft loan to the Sindh government in 2006 to be recoverable in 20 years under the deal. The loan was provided for hiring of teachers with a condition that the recruitment should be based on merit and made through a written test with passing score set as 60 per cent.

The first instalment of the loan to the tune of US$100 million was released to the Sindh government, which placed an ad for the recruitment of 14,500 primary, junior and high school teachers in 2007. Around 150,000 candidates appeared in a written test, conducted by the IBA Sukkur, last year. However, he said, former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim unilaterally decided to reduce the passing score from 60 per cent to 40 per cent. Mr Rahim also issued directives to this effect to the education department, the minister said, adding that when the financial institution came to know about it, the second instalment of the loan was not released. Consequently, he said, not a single teacher could be appointed.

After he took over, the minister said, he was approached and briefed by a World Bank team about the agreement. It was told that the second instalment of the loan would be released only if the government would follow the terms of the agreement, he said.

Mr Haq pointed out that there was no teacher in 7,500 schools in the province. He said he agreed to fulfil the bank’s requirement as far as teachers’ recruitment was concerned.

He made it clear that merit alone would be the criterion in the realm of education.

Sukkur IBA Director Nisar Ahmed Siddiqui was also present on the occasion along with the provincial education secretary.

Sindhi compulsory

A circular was, meanwhile, issued to all the private educational institutions in the province on the directive of Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Pir Mazharul Haq, asking the managements of the private schools to teach Sindhi as a compulsory subject.

In case of non-compliance, the registration of the institution may be cancelled, according to the notification issued through the director registration and inspection, private institutions in Sindh.

It was pointed out that some private institutions were reluctant to teach Sindhi as a compulsory subject in violation of the Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation and Control) Ordinance, 2001, Amended Act 2003 and Rules 2006.

It was also pointed out that an inspection team, after summer vacations, would undertake visits and action would be initiated against those found flouting the directive.—APP