KARACHI, May 5: Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim has directed the education department to formulate its recommendations regarding non-functional schools at the earliest.

In this regard, services of private sector should also be hired so that non-functional schools could be made functional, he said while presiding over a meeting at Chief Minister’s House.

Arbab Rahim pointed out that education played an important role in the development of a nation. “The nations, which gave importance to education, are now ruling the world and that is why we look upon others in every field,” he said.

All out efforts were needed to make this sector effectively functional on priority basis, he said, and added that the parents would have to include education in their priorities. He said that the present government was ready to cooperate with every section to have our youth equipped with knowledge. He said philanthropists could also prove helpful in promotion of education.

Lamenting that school buildings are being converted into “autaqs” and godowns, he directed that school buildings under occupation of others should be immediately got vacated, no matter how much powerful the occupants may be. He emphasised upon girls’ education and directed the education authorities to appoint retired teachers at places where female teachers were not available and in this regard the community too should be involved. He said that middle-pass girls should be appointed in the areas where matriculate female teachers were not available.

Meanwhile, Sindh Education and Literacy Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro on Friday directed EDOs (Education) of all districts to collect data of repairable buildings of educational institutions in their respective districts and take up the matter for their repair with agency concerned through district government.

She issued the directive on complaints that the agencies concerned were not paying due attention towards repair and maintenance of educational institutions’ buildings and recently an incident of collapse of ceiling plaster at St. Joseph’s School in Larkana injured many students. The minister ordered enquiry into the incident so that action could be taken against those responsible.

Dr Hamida asked the EDOs that besides taking up the matter with the works and services department, a copy of such details be provided to the department's secretariat so that the matter was sorted out at provincial level.

She also took notice of a report published in a section of press regarding closure of 30-year-old Sindhi-medium school at Ibrahim Haidry. She asked Education Secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha to conduct enquiry to ascertain reasons of closure of school and ensure availability of teachers to re-open the school at the earliest. —APP/PPI