NAWABSHAH, Dec 28: The district council was told on Thursday that some 334 schools were lying closed in the district. ADO (education) Ghulam Rasool Keerio said of the closed schools, 121 were in Doulatpur taluka, 107 in Nawabshah and Daur and 88 in Sakrand taluka.

District naib nazim Abdul Haq Jamali presided over the meeting. The members protested on the absence of the EDO education.

Mr Keerio said that the number of closed schools was increasing due to transport problems, migration of villagers and setting up of schools at inappropriate places.

He said that the number of closed schools was 204 in the 2004-05 year. He said that 18 middle schools, including nine of girls, were lying closed.

Rejecting the figures of the education department, Syed Munir Shah said that a few weeks ago, the EDO education had disclosed that the number of closed schools was 513.

Members Abdul Rasool Brohi, Laung Channo, Ghulam Mustafa Soomro, Ghulam Sakina, Najaf Shah and Hamid Chandio lashed out at the performance of education officials.

They demanded that effective measures be taken for reopening of the schools.