HYDERABAD, Dec 15: The executive district officer (EDO), Education, Hyderabad district, has directed all the managements of private schools to get their institutions regularized in accordance with the provisions of the Sindh Private Education Institution (Regulation and Control) Ordinance 2001 by Dec 20.

He has advised the management of the schools to contact him as soon as possible.

Earlier, the EDO had warned the management of a private school, Piggott Memorial Girls Higher Secondary School, to conduct its affairs in accordance with the rules and regulations of the education department.

The directive was apparently issued in the light of the sacking of a female teacher, Mrs Shahida Ashfaque, from the school.

The district officer for EDO, Education, Hyderabad, had informed the principal of the school that following an inquiry into the appeal of Mrs Ashfaque it was established that she had been terminated from service without any solid reason and without observing the proper procedure which was against the service rules/registration rules.

He said that Mrs Ashfaque had proceeded on maternity leave but she was terminated whereas leave was the right of each and every employee.

He said, “There seemed to be nothing against Mrs Ashfaque in her personal file/office record of your school.”

He held the termination as illegal and contrary to the registration rules, asking the principal to withdraw such orders and reinstate the teacher concerned.

In response to the above letter, the principal of the school told the district officer to correspond with the chairman, Bishop S. K. Dass, St Thomas Cathedral, in respect of Mrs Ashfaque’s case as per the instructions of the chairman. She, however, has not reinstated the lady teacher so far.

The matter has not been resolved as yet as the principal was resisting the reinstatement of the lady teacher.

This correspondent tried to contact the principal of the school at her house but no one attended the phone.