HYDERABAD, Sept 24: The additional secretary for education, Sindh, Prof Anwar Ahmad Zai, has said Sindh is the first province which has implemented two important clauses of the Constitution relating to education.

Briefing newsmen about educational programmes and achievements of the Sindh government in the education sector, he said the province had made primary education compulsory and students would be provided free education up to matriculation.

He said no fee was being charged from students and added the relevant ordinance was put into operation in April 2002.

He, however, said this programme was being implemented phase- wise in 102 talukas of the province and added it was spread over three years.

Prof Ahmad Zai warned parents would be fined Rs50 per day if they did not send their children between the age of five and nine years to school, provided their children were mentally and physically healthy and the nearest school was less than 1.5 kilometres away from their residence.

He said the condition of uniforms for primary students was waived and added arrangements were also made to ensure students did not suffer for want of course books.

He said during the last fiscal year, Rs172 million were provided to districts for providing free books to primary students in rural areas and slum localities of urban areas.

For the current fiscal year, he said, this amount was increased to Rs350 million and released to districts.

The additional education secretary said facilities would also be given to students of religious schools who voluntarily adopted the system of formal education.

He said in view of increasing demands of books, private publishers, selected by relevant committees, would also be allowed to print textbooks and the Sindh Textbook Board would now have to compete with these publishers.

He disclosed girl students of class-VI, VII and VIII would be given Rs100 per month as scholarship, excluding two-month vacations. For this purpose, he said, Rs350 million were released.

Prof Ahmad Zai said Rs290 million were also placed at the disposal of school management committees to purchase necessary wherewithal, including furniture and repairs.

He said two million children were still out of school and added a phase-wise three-year programme was chalked out to provide primary education to these children.

He said only local female primary teachers would be appointed in specific schools.

The additional secretary for education said where there were no schools, the government would give a grant to the private sector to establish primary schools.

He said teachers would be appointed on merit.

He informed 21 teachers were terminated, five teachers were dismissed, final show-cause notices were issued to one hundred teachers and criminal cases against 920 “ghost” teaches were filed.

Anyone who identified a ghost teacher would be given 25 per cent of the salary of the teacher and his name would not be disclosed, he further informed.

Prof Ahmad Zai said ten outstanding primary, elementary, secondary technical and college teachers (five male and five female), nominated by each district, would be given a reward of Rs25,000 each.

He said after written test and interview, five teachers would also be given Rs50,000 each and the teacher of the year would be given Rs100,000 by the Sindh governor.

He, however, warned strict action would be taken against those authorities who recommended average teachers.

The Sindh additional secretary for education disclosed the Asian Development Bank had agreed to provide funds to upgrade 1,200 primary schools to middle schools within six years.