HYDERABAD, Aug 20: Leaders of the Sindh Employees Alliance on Sunday held the government responsible for closure of about 7,000 schools in the province.

They said that about 3,000 schools were without buildings and there was shortage of power, water and furniture in more than 15,000 schools.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club, they said that 10,000 posts of primary and secondary teachers and 2,000 of college teachers were lying vacant while more than 100 colleges were without permanent principals.

They demanded that the Sindh education minister should be removed from the post and the secretary education be arrested for what they alleged his involvement in massive corruption in the department amounting to tens of millions of rupees.

SEA chairman Rafique Jarwar said that if an inquiry was conducted into alleged corruption of the Sindh education minister and secretary by the NAB or judges of superior judiciary, the alliance was prepared to produce documentary evidence.

Alliance’s secretary general Prof Liaquat Aziz was present on the occasion.

Mr Jarwar said that the education minister and secretary had destroyed the entire education system of Sindh.

Demanding reopening of the closed education institutions, Mr Jarwar said that all vacant posts should be filled purely on merit and the distribution of seats between government and allied parties should be stopped.

He said that the secretary had issued a supplement in Sindhi, Urdu and English newspapers at a cost of tens of millions of rupees publishing an incorrect chart of holidays.

He said that the date of Shabe Maraj in newspapers was published as 15 Rajab against the correct date of 27 Rajab, of Eidul Fitr as 1st Shaban against the correct date of 1 Shawal and of Aashura as February 29 and 30 although the month of February has only 28 days.

He demanded that the write-up on Ayub Khuhro which had been included in school syllabus should be deleted as he was responsible for the creation of One Unit.

He also called for the removal of Sindh Textbook Board chairman because they said he had failed to provide books.

Mr Jarwar alleged that the STBB field office in Clifton and other offices had been converted into “houses of vices”.

He said that tens of million of rupees had been misappropriated in the STBB, PITE, DEEP, rural reform support unit and school management committees.

He said that 300 teachers out of 2,050, recently appointed, had not even appeared in interview.

He announced that alliance activists would hold a protest march on August 22, from the Karachi press club to the Sindh chief minister’s house.

He said that if force was used to suppress the protest march, the responsibility for consequences would rest with the Sindh education minister and secretary.

Mr Jarwar demanded that the ban on teachers and employees’ associations should be lifted, employment quota for children of teachers and the deceased should be implemented, dismissed teachers should be reinstated and the removal from service (special powers) ordinance 2000 should be repealed.

Other demands included uniform pay-scale and allowances, transfer of education boards to the education department, implementation of Sindhi Language Act 1972, early decision in promotion cases, removal of contract officers and regularisation of teachers and employees appointed on contract.

He also distributed a two-page charge-sheet against the Sindh education minister underlining her alleged corrupt practices.