SHC orders inquiry into closure of schools of five districts

Several public schools are laying closed in Bakhshapur, Gharo, Thul, Kot Ghulam Muhammad and other rural areas

KARACHI: As Sindh's executive authority limits itself more to lip service than taking practical steps to improve the standard of education, the province's judiciary seems to have taken up the task to put things right in the education department.

The provincial chief justice, Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, ordered a judicial inquiry into the media reports regarding the closure of government schools in five districts, judicial sources told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.

The sources said that the SHC CJ had taken notice of news appearing in the press, which stated that several government schools were lying closed in Bakhshapur, Gharo, Thul, Kot Ghulam Muhammad and other rural areas.

According to the sources, the SHC registrar had directed the district and sessions judges of the Kashmore, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Thatta and Kamber-Shahdadkot districts to hold an inquiry into the alleged closure of the schools in the areas pointed out in the media reports.



The judicial officers were directed to submit their reports to the SHC registrar's office.

A day earlier, SHC CJ Sheikh, while taking notice of similar media reports, had directed the district and sessions judges of districts Tando Muhammad Khan, Mithi, Khairpur and Kashmore to inquire into the reports regarding the lack of basic facilities as well as teaching staff at the government schools.

In the news reports, it was stated that many schools lack basic facilities and teachers were also absent from their duties. As a result, a number of the students were deprived of education.

Judicial sources said the top judge had taken notice of the poor state of affairs at the government-run schools in the public interest, as a large number of the students in those areas could not get education.



Earlier this month, SHC CJ Sheikh had issued directives to the secretary of the provincial education and literacy department to submit a detailed report on the conditions of government schools, the shortage of teachers and buildings and funds across the province.

Sources said the SHC CJ had called such details from the secretary after the registrar had put up a note based on media reports on various issues pertaining to the condition of the schools' premises, non-availability of the school buildings and shortage of teachers.

Therefore, the secretary was directed to obtain reports from the education officers in each district and submit detailed reports on the present conditions of the schools, necessary steps or measures taken and the funds allocated or spent on repair and maintenance of the schools mentioned in the news item.