KARACHI, Oct 31: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has directed that vocational and technical education institutions be immediately established in the province.

He was chairing a meeting held at the Chief Minister House here on Tuesday.

Matters pertaining to the educational strategy were reviewed on the occasion.

He stated that for meeting the challenges of the future, a coordinated programme be devised. Dr Arbab Rahim pointed out that at the moment there are five million school-going children in the province and that there is a need to further enhance this number.

He stressed that a coordinated plan be chalked out for the promotion of education in Sindh.

The chief minister said that according to a survey six million children are not going to schools in the province and that it is imperative to enrol them.

He further emphasised that the teachers be recruited only on the basis of merit.

Dr Arbab was of the view that special attention be paid towards primary education in the province.

He pointed out that 61 per cent educational institutions exist in rural areas but there are no teachers in 29 per cent.

The chief minister informed that 7,398 schools are shut and of these 6,325 are primary schools.He also pointed out that the government of Sindh has allocated Rs41.7 billion for the education sector in the fiscal 2006-07 and that judicious use of this money can help brighten the future of 5.2 million students.

Dr Arbab Rahim said the programme of establishing English medium schools in all tehsils of the province would be initiated soon.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Education Minister Hamida Khuhro, Planning Minister Shoaib Bukhari, Minister for Works and Services Sadaruddin Shah Rashdi, Finance Adviser M.A. Jalil and Chief Secretary Fazalur Rehman. —APP