KARACHI, Dec 15: The education department of Sindh has received some 180,000 applications against 20,000 primary schoolteacher jobs.

The vacancies for recruitment of primary schoolteachers, junior schoolteachers, and high schoolteachers were advertised in the national newspapers some time back.

A meeting of the education department was given this information in a briefing on Monday.

Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah presided over the meeting.

The chief minister stressed the need for selecting teachers purely on merit. He said the laid down procedure of recruitment must be strictly followed.The meeting discussed recruitment rules for postings in various teaching cadres. It particularly focused on primary schoolteachers’ recruitment.

The meeting was informed that out of 7,000 closed schools in the province, 2,470 schools were reopened after provision of teachers.

There were about 300 non-viable schools in the province which could not be made operational because of their awkward location or some other reasons, the meeting was told.

The World Bank had approved a soft loan of $100 million for recruitment of teachers, it was said during the meeting.

Senior provincial minister Pir Mazharul Haq, secretary education Rizwan Memon, principal secretary to the chief minister Syed Sohail Akbar Shah, secretary services Shafiq Ahmad Khoso, secretary general administration Rizwan Ahmad and special secretary to the chief minister Agha Akhtar Jan attended the meeting.