KARACHI, Nov 16: Federal Education Minister Lt-Gen (rtd) Javed Ashraf Qazi said that President Musharraf had assured an increase of Rs100 billions in allocation for education in federal budget within the next five years, of which Rs20 billion to be provided next year for Education Sector Reforms.

The federal minister stated this in a meeting with Sindh Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro at her residence on Wednesday. They discussed issues relating to promotion of basic and higher education and literacy at both federal and provincial levels in the country.

Javed Ashraf Qazi said that increased budgetary allocation in education sector would be utilized for improving condition and improving basic facilities at the existing schools as well as for establishing more schools in the country, with a policy to set up at least one school in each village of the country.

Technical education would also be introduced at higher secondary schools and students would be at liberty to opt for technical education after Class VIII, he added.

“A joint committee of representatives of all Corps Commanders, provincial and district governments is being set up to carry out the task of establishing new schools and provide missing facilities at the existing ones,” he said adding that Programme Monitoring Units will be formed at both federal and provincial levels.

Supporting the idea of giving back the control of intermediate and degree colleges to provincial governments from district governments, he said that the President had already approved it and asked the National Reconstruction Bureau to introduce appropriate amendments in the Local Government Ordinance.

The Punjab government has already taken over all intermediate and degree colleges in the province, he disclosed.

Lt-Gen (rtd) Javed Ashraf Qazi said his ministry was revising education curricula with an aim to introduce computer and IT education from primary classes and eliminate duplication of subjects. He also urged Sindh Education Department to continue revision and updating the curricula as supported by other provinces.

Reiterating his intentions regarding teaching of English language, he said that English would be taught from Class I while English as medium of instruction for teaching of science subjects, mathematics, computer science, economics and geography would also be declared mandatory at school-level in a stepwise manner.

The federal minister also expressed his consent on start of academic session simultaneously August throughout the country and suggested Sindh education department to establish a body like TEVTA of Punjab to strengthen technical and vocational institutes by bringing them under one umbrella.

He also called for reduction of number educational boards in the province, saying that each province should have only one educational board and also advocated giving educational boards in Sindh in the administrative control of Sindh Education Department.

He maintained that non-formal basic education would be revamped and strengthened throughout the country. He asked the provincial education minister to start recruitment of teachers to fill the gap, saying Balochistan and rural Sindh were facing acute shortage of teachers.

“Recently, Punjab Education Department recruited 25,000 teachers on contractual basis to overcome shortage,” he disclosed.

Expressing his annoyance over lapse of funds, he said that Sindh Education Department should timely utilize funds provided by federal government under the ESR, non-formal education and other programmes. He assured the provincial minister that if funds were not timely released by the finance ministry, prime minister would be approached in this regard.

Sindh Education Minister Hamida Khuhro apprised Federal Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi of establishment of Reforms Support Unit by the provincial education department to develop monitoring system in the province.

She also briefed him about comprehensive teachers training programmes, mass awareness campaigns and talks with donor agencies for budgetary support to education in the province.

Sindh Education Secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha, Additional Secretary Education Iqbal Durrani were also present. —PPI