KARACHI, Jan 7: Sindh education minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat was, on Tuesday, briefed on the state of education in the province.

The Sindh Education Secretary, Nazar Hussain Mahar, briefed the minister about the steps taken for the spread of education in the province such as compulsory primary education and the grant of scholarships of Rs100 per month to help arrest the drop out rate at the middle school level.

The minister was told that under the compulsory primary education programme, currently one Taluka of each rural district and five towns of Karachi were covered in the year 2001-2002, while 40 towns and Talukas would be covered during the current year and 42 towns and talukas in 2003-04.—APP/PPI