HYDERABAD, July 20: Sindh Democratic Forum convener Abrar Kazi has urged the government to provide free and quality education in the backward areas of the province.

Mr Kazi said as chief guest at a seminar on “Improvement in Educational System” organised by the Institute of Modern Sciences and Arts (IMSA) here on Saturday that the standard of education in Sindh could never improve without active and concerted efforts of civil society.

He appealed to Sindh Graduates Association, Sindhi Adabi Sangat and other organisations working for promotion of education to come forward and strengthen government’s hands.

The educational system in the educational institutions of the province had deteriorated to the point that the government could not improve it singlehandedly, he said.

He said that without cooperation of civil society and concerted efforts by all members of society, the rot that had settled in the educational institutions over the years could never be cleansed.

He recalled that in the 60s the standard of education in the province was better than all the federating units. The rot started settling after 70s following emergence of nationalist politics in educational institutions and the decline continued up to this day.

H pointed out that no doubt, the private educational institutions were imparting quality education but they were restricted to urban areas only and their fee was beyond the reach of common man.

Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo, scholar and educationist, said that he had drafted and handed over a five year plan to the government for making literacy rate 100 per cent and alleviating poverty. The medium of instruction should be mother tongue up to class-V, he said.

Habibullah Siddiqui said that that the foundation of educational system was raised on primary education, which needed to be strengthened. Merit and merit alone should be the criterion for the teachers’ appointment, he said and suggested that female students should be given stipends and a network of schools should be laid to provide educational facilities to people in rural areas at their doorsteps.