HYDERABAD, March 29 Sindh Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq has said that 1,300 teachers will soon be appointed with the assistance of the World Bank.

The government had given approval for registration of 200 private schools and would give a go-ahead to 300 more private schools next month, he said.

He was speaking at the launching ceremony of Sindhi Word Processor CD developed by the Institute of Information and Communication Technology of the University of Sindh and the Sindhi Language Authority, and a CD on the textbook songs at Dr Nabi Bux Khan Baloch Hall in the Sindhi Language Authority. He said that no effort had been made to improve education system in Sindh in the past under a planned conspiracy but the People`s Party government had always worked for the promotion of education and Sindhi language.

He said that more attention needed to be focussed on the promotion of education in Kachho, Thar and coastal areas. The government had reopened 2,500 schools out of 7,000 schools lying closed in the province and efforts were being made to reopen the remaining schools.

He said the government was taking keen interest in girls` education and it was considering a proposal for upgrading girls` schools. An institution would be established for training and capacity-building of government teachers, he said.

The government was considering a proposal for converting PITE Nawabshah into a university of education, he said and added that free of cost textbooks would be provided to students up to Class-XII with effect from next year.

Pir Mazhar said that the government was trying to fulfil Benazir Bhutto`s mission by providing maximum facilities to people and praised the Sindhi Language Authority for developing CD on the syllabus songs. These CDs would be distributed among schools free of cost, he said.

Dr G.A. Allana said in his presidential address that it was an occasion to rejoice that today Sindhi had become the language of computer with the launch of Sindhi Word Processor. It was indeed a great leap in the development of Sindhi language, he said.

He said that several attempts had been made to develop Sindhi Word Processor over the past 30 years in which Mr Majid Bhurgari had played a key role and university students also put in their fair share of contribution to the development of word processor.

He said that institutions came into existence by the efforts of individuals. The real founder of the Sindh University was Sain G.M. Syed, he said.

The Sindhi Language Authority Chairperson Dr Fehmida Hussain said that it was a great occasion that they could now use computer in Sindhi language.

She sought help of the education department for distributing CDs of the songs of textbooks free of cost to the schools and stressed the need for teaching Sindhi subjects in all the educational institutions, including private schools.

The director of the Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Imdad Ali Ismaili, said that the software could be used for sending e-mail, editing, composing, formatting and documentation.

He said that work on the development of software started in 2003 and completed in 2009 and acknowledged services of Dr G.A. Allana, Dr Nabi Bux Khan Baloch, Dr Qasim Bughio, Dr Abdul Jabbar Junejo, Dr Fehmida Hussain, Shoukat Hussain Shoro, Dr Anwar Ali Shah, Majid Bhurgri and many others in the development of the Sindhi Word Processor.

He said that a 35,000-word dictionary of English to Sindhi and vice versa were also available on the website.

The secretary of the authority, Taj Joyo, Raagi Mazhar Hussain, PPP cultural wing leader Sarfaraz Rajar, vice-chancellor of Sindh University Mazharul Haq, noted poet Parwano Bhatti and others also spoke at the launching ceremony.