Sindh’s new education policy to define ‘school’ for the first time

Department meeting takes major decisions to overhaul functions, improve standards

KARACHI: The Sindh Education and Literacy Department has decided to restructure its various sections, especially consolidating the teachers' training and curriculum wings. The department also decided that for the first time, the education policy would define the word "school", so that all resources, including the budget may be used accordingly.

In a meeting held on Thursday and presided over by Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, the department decided to merge its three teachers' training institutes as well as its two curriculum wings, start a pilot project for transportation of girls to schools and set a 50% pass mark for the appointment of teachers. It was also decided to completely review the department's recruitment policy, rationalise the budgetary allocations in accordance with the requirements, devise a strategy for shelter-less schools and establish a science museum in Larkana.

Thursday's meeting was attended by Education Secretary Qazi Shahid Parvez, Reforms Support Unit Chief Program Manager Asif Ikram, Additional Secretary Aleem Lashari, Special Secretary Ghulam Abbas Detho and all regional and district directors.

In addition to these policy decisions, the meeting discussed various other issues such as the total number of schools, registration of private schools, Annual Development Programme schemes of 2019-20, number of out-of-school children, provision of transport to schools to increase the enrollment of female students, establishment of science museums, examinations of secondary school students and purchase of furniture.



Teachers' training

Education minister Shah decried that what all in the department cared about was to establish institutions with different names. Three institutions for teachers' training and two for curriculum were established, but everyone knew what their output was, he said, adding that there was no justifiable reason to keep these overlapping institutions.

The meeting decided to make amendments in the Sindh Teachers Educational Developmental Authority's Act by merging the three institutions - Sindh Teachers Developmental Authority (STEDA) Teachers Training Institute (TTI) and Provincial Institute of Teachers Education (PITE). In addition to these, all the wings created for curriculum development would also be merged.

Furniture

On the issue of furniture in schools, the education minister lamented that it was illogical to talk about the standard of education when they couldn't even afford to provide furnishings.

"This is an extremely shameful situation for us," he said, stressing that the purchase of furniture must be ensured by June 20. "I will not tolerate any complaints regarding the unavailability of furniture after that," he warned.

Education Secretary Parvez told the meeting that a consultative workshop will be held with members of the civil society in Karachi on February 12, after which stakeholders' suggestions will be included in any policy decisions.

Schools' registration

Reform Support Unit's Ikram said that the profiling of all the schools in the province is being done and Internet applications are being made. The education minister instructed him this to complete the counting of schools in the province by March 10 to enable policies to be drafted based on accurate data.

Turning to the private institutions director-general, Mansoob Siddiqui, the education minister expressed displeasure over the incorrect statistics regarding the numbers of private schools. "What are your regional directors doing if they don't even know the exact number of unregistered schools?" he questioned. The minister added that the regional directors were not doing their job and never went into the field. Minister Shah instructed Siddiqui to dismiss such people.

RSU's Ikram suggested that there should be a SEMIS code for private schools, just like in the case of public schools. He went on to claim that sometimes, private schools hide details such as salaries and educational backgrounds of their teachers. The education minister ordered the private schools DG to conduct meetings with the RSU chief and complete the profiling of all private schools in the province.

Science museum

Education minister Shah expressed the wish that every district of the province establish at least one science museum where students can exhibit their science models. The museums would also feature virtual and experimental galleries and would host regional and district-level science competitions.

Shah lamented that not a single science museum had ever been established in the province. He directed the education secretary to design a scheme to establish a digital science museum as well as take necessary measures to launch science museums in Karachi and Larkana at least.



Regularisation of teachers

The meeting discussed in details the issue of regularisation of teachers who had passed the test from Sindh University. It was decided that their results would be verified and the teachers would be regularised only after results were attested.

What is a school?

Education minister Shah said it was ironic that no definition of schools had been made in the past 72 years. "Someone declared a room as a school and another made shelter-less schools," he said.

For the first time, the education minister said, they would define the word "school" in the education policy, so that all resources, including the budget may be used accordingly. Shah also instructed the education secretary to devise a strategy to envisage reforms for art teachers and band masters through the curriculum wing, in order to improve the visual and performing arts skills among students.

Dropout rates

The issue of dropout ratios of female students after primary education was also brought up for discussion. Secretary Parvez said that the main reason for the high dropout rates among female students after primary schools was that high schools were available only in larger urban centres. "We would have to make arrangements for their transport," he said. The session decided to start a transport service to take girls to schools. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2019.