Lacking facilities: Education minister takes notice of poor condition of school buildings

Dahar appreciated role of international donors in increasing Sindh’s educational standard

KARACHI: Sindh education and literacy department minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar directed on Wednesday education officers to look into the poor conditions of school buildings immediately and ensure the safety of students.

Students studying in dangerous conditions must be shifted to a safer place so that their educational activities may continue without any hindrance, he said, while taking serious notice of the poor condition of the main primary school buildings in Johi and damaged classrooms of primary and middle schools in a village in District Mithi.  The minister also said that 36,000 school management committees were working across the province to enhance educational standards and ensure transparent utilisation of funds, while 1,065 schools have been merged under the School Consolidation Policy.

Appreciating foreign assistance

Meanwhile, in another meeting, Dahar appreciated the role of international donors in increasing student enrolment and the standard of education in Sindh, while addressing a delegation of the European Union (EU) led by EU ambassador Jean-Francois Cautain on Wednesday. Colleges secretary Dr Riaz Ahmed Memon and schools secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho were also present on the occasion.

The EU ambassador, while assuring his full support for improvement of education in the province, informed Dahar that the EU had provided budgetary support of €36 million to the government of Sindh through the Sindh Education Sector (SES) support programme and by promoting quality education and access in primary and secondary education.

"Presently the EU has launched an identification mission for the SES of €70 million for enhancing capacity building of the heads of educational institutions," said Cautain, adding that there is a dire need to form a forum at the provincial level for better coordination between the government and international donors.

"Chairpersons and vice chairpersons of union councils need to be engaged and pay regular visits to the schools and monitor educational activities in the schools that are in their areas," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2016.