Improving the system: CM orders education dept to get rid of ghost teachers

Says he is keen to bring back teachers to classrooms and train them

KARACHI: Expressing concern over the presence of ghost teachers in the education department, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah issued directions to get rid of ghost teachers and to remove them.

He said this while presiding over a meeting with the education department at New Secretariat on Tuesday. Take action against those who are helping the ghost teachers, said the CM while issuing directions to education secretary Fazllullah Pechuho. The secretary claimed that they had launched a biometric system to help remove ghost employees. The meeting was attended by Education Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, chief secretary Rizwan Memon, principal secretary to CM Naveed Kamran Baloch, finance secretary Hassan Naqvi and Pechuho among others.

The CM said he was keen to improve the education system in Sindh by returning teachers to classrooms, developing their capacity through trainings and by removing ghost teachers. The CM added that he wants recruitment of teachers in school where there is a shortage of teaching staff. "In some schools, there is overstaffing of teachers while in some schools there is a shortage," he said. The CM directed the education secretary to rationalise the transfer and postings in the interest of the schools.



"It is the responsibility of the education department to return teachers to classrooms," said Shah. "Not forcibly but voluntarily instead." He suggested that if the education department cannot do this, they should hand over schools to well-reputed organisations, such as Institute of Business Administration, so that they can run them with their own teaching staff, for which the Sindh government will provide them funds. Teachers must take their classes as this is the only way to improve literacy rate, he added.

On the education minister's request, the CM directed the chief secretary to give some district management group and provincial civil service officers to the education department for running school administration. "I have declared emergency in education but still I am not satisfied with the results," he said. Urging the education minister to focus on training of teachers, the CM said that their communication and teaching skills must be strong. "Teaching methods have changed and we need to adopt them," he added.

Referring to a hostel running under women development department in Shaheed Benazirabad, which had been occupied by the police to house DIG office, the CM directed the chief secretary to speak to the IG and get the hostel vacated.

CM visits NADRA centre

The CM visited Sindh Employees Smartcard Centre established by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on the ground floor of New Secretariat on Tuesday. The NADRA administration briefed the CM about facilities available for issuing of national identity cards and smart cards. Appreciating their work, the CM congratulated the NADRA administration for establishing a good database.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2016.