KARACHI, March 28: Provincial Education Minister, Irfanullah Khan Marwat, has observed that the government has been spending a sum of Rs20 billion on the public sector educational institutions but the achievement has almost been negligible.

He was speaking at a prize-distribution ceremony held here on Friday at the Preston Institute of Management, Science and Technology (PIMS&T).

He pointed out that a total of 640 students were granted admission in first year to the Government Adamjee Science College, considered to be a prestigious institution in the metropolis. Of these students, only 40 came from the public sector institutions while the remaining from the private schools. Such a situation, he said, would not be allowed to prevail any more.

Mr Marwat said that parents would have to pay attention to the education of their children. Officials of Education Department, too, bear the responsibility to improve academic standards and they must play their due role in this regard, he added.

He warned that action would be initiated against the teachers whose students failed to show good result this year. Similar action would be taken against the concerned Education Department officers also, he said.

The minister lauded the role of good private educational institutions in improving academic standards. He said that the government was also making all out efforts in this regard to bring public sector institutions at par with the good private institutions.

On this occasion, the minister was briefed about the academic performance of the PIMS&T where as many as 2,500 students have been enrolled.

He was told that the students had been taking up courses in various disciplines, including information technology.

Later, the minister distributed prizes among position holders.—APP