KARACHI, July 24: Sindh Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro alleged that leaders of the banned unions and associations had paralysed the entire educational system and warned if they tried to damage the academic atmosphere after the ban on their activities, their services would be terminated.

Talking to newsmen at her office on Monday, she claimed that there was a general perception that the leaders of teachers' bodies did not perform their duties properly and influenced the transfers and postings of teachers, which resulted in closure of many schools in rural Sindh as everybody wanted to serve in cities.

Dr Khuhro said that when she took over as education minister two years back, she invited all the leaders of unions and associations and told them to concentrate on educating children otherwise huge spending on education department, teachers and the educational system would be meaningless.

She said that the department was getting positive feedback on its decision regarding imposition of ban on associations and added violators of the ban would be replaced through new recruitment as thousands of educated persons were looking for jobs with masters and bachelors degrees.

To a query, the minister said that all educational institutes would open from August 16 and if any private school violated this decision, stern action would be taken against its management.

Briefing newsmen regarding the reforms being introduced in the educational sector, she said recruitment of new teachers was under way to overcome shortage of teaching manpower while a comprehensive teachers' training programme was being undertaken to improve quality of education at public educational institutes.

She reiterated her pledge to provide the new generation equal opportunities of getting quality education so that they could become capable of living successful lives and added all three languages, including mother, national and English were being given due importance.—PPI