SUKKUR, Sept 26: The acting president and chairman, Senate, Mohammedmian Soomro, has said that the educational standard was falling down and stressed the need for taking immediate remedial measures with the joint efforts of the community, the teachers and the government.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a primary school in the Ahmed Mian Soomro village, about 15 kms away from Jacobabad, on Friday. The school building was funded and raised by Mr Soomro’s mother, Begum Saeeda Soomro.

He said primary education remained badly neglected in the past, and thus had played havoc with the future of our generations.

He said that the government was laying great stress on education for increasing the country’s literacy rate.

He said unless Pakistan achieved a high literacy rate like those of other developing nations it can not really progress in other fields of life.

Mr Soomro deplored that politically-induced appointments of teachers were made in the past as a result of which the educational standard continued to decline.

He observed that moral values and character-building played a vital role in primary education, and if these were neglected, they were bound to destroy the future of our generations.

He also underlined the need of introducing new disciplines and revising the curricula in view of the fast global changes, and also because the world is switching from the era of Information Technology to an era of Bio Technology.

He said there was a terrible need for controlling the increasing trends of commercialization in education as a result of which the chances of education for the poor would be doomed.

He called upon the philanthropists to encourage the concept of public-private partnership in promoting education and health facilities in the neglected areas of the country.

Mr Soomro said that the government had done a lot during the last three and a half years, and vigorous efforts were made by opening Information Technology institutions in both private and public sectors.

He cited the example of Virtual University, which he hoped would play a pivotal role in improving our educational standard as well as help achieving a high literacy rate.

Later, talking to newsmen at the residence of Mir Asghar Panwhar, Mr Soomro said that India would take part in the SAARC Conference being held at Islamabad in January 2004.

He hoped that the conference would provide a chance for improvement of our relations with India.

Replying to a question, he said, Pakistan had always pursued a policy of friendship and goodwill with neighbouring countries. It was based on the principle of mutual respect and non-interference in others affairs.

He said President Musharraf would visit Iran soon, and hoped that our brotherly relations with Iran would further strengthen.

He spoke about the massive developments of Jacobabad district for which Prime Minister Jamali was taking personal interest.

He claimed, “Soon you will find tremendous socio-economic changes in all walks of life.”

TEACHERS: The Sindh Nationalized School Teachers Organization, Sukkur chapter, has thanked Sindh governor Ishratul Ibad for his keen interest in resolving problems of the teaching community of the nationalized cadre.