KARACHI, Sept 28: Sindh Education and Literacy Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro expressed dissatisfaction and annoyance on the poor performance of education department officials , especially district education officers in making closed schools functional and asked them to take immediate steps for start of teaching and provision of books to students.

She was presiding over a high-level meeting in her office on Tuesday. Referring to news reports that 358 schools were lying closed in Dadu district only, the minister said that she had cancelled all detailment orders when she came to know that it was the major reason behind suspension of teaching process at schools.

She regretted that despite cancellation of detailment orders there was no progress in making closed schools functional, which showed that there were also some other reasons behind the closure of schools in Sindh.

The minister also inquired from EDOs (Education) of various districts about provision of textbooks to school children in the interior of Sindh. Expressing annoyance over the situation, she said that it was now the responsibility of EDOs and the officials concerned to provide them photostat books or arrange the same from former students.

The minister was informed that Sindh Textbook Board provided books in inadequate number in Hyderabad, Tharparkar and Nawabshah and owing to that several students could not be provided textbooks.

Dr Hamida Khuhro also lashed education department for growing reports of embezzlement in funds of School Management Committees and asked them to utilize these funds in improvement of education.

"If there is any legal or any other kind of impediment in this regard, you should approach me instead of ignoring it," she said. She deplored that at a meeting of provincial education ministers in Islamabad, it was told that Sindh was even behind the FATA and Azad Kashmir in educational progress. -PPI