Public schools can never replace private schools: education minister

Officials and teachers of the education department have to own this system, says education minister

KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Sardar Shah admitted on Thursday that government schools can never replace private schools. He said that 100,000 of the 143,000 teachers in Sindh do not belong to science group and therefore cannot teach Mathematics and Science. While the teachers appointed are highly educated and passed the test at Sukkur Institute of Business Administration, the problems are still present in government schools. He added, however, that the public should support the government.

He expressed these views at a seminar organised by Sindh Education and Literacy Department on Sindh Enrolment Drive 2019 at Government Girls High School Mir Ayub in Lyari.

Shah said that private schools cannot sell stationery or course books at their institutes and if any complaints are received in this regard, strict action would be taken against the schools. The director of private schools has been given instructions in this regard, he added.

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"We have started this enrolment campaign from our house, in Umerkot," said Shah, adding that they had stopped second at Lyari. "We consider every student studying in the schools of Lyari as our child".

"Officials and teachers of the education department have to own this system," said the minister, adding that since influential people made interventions in the appointments and transfers of teachers, the standard of schools dropped.

Clarifying that rumours of his resignation were false, he said his daughter still studies in a government school because of which he isn't burdened by expenses. According to the opposition, teachers that don't know how to teach should not be part of the system, said Shah. Addressing the criticism, he said that the opposition should provide a strategy to effectively deal with this issue.

The minister said that parents want to send their children to schools that have air conditioning. "We are not against private schools," said Shah, adding that they would begin monitoring the standards of these schools in the next phase. "A school cannot be established in a flat comprising three rooms".

Education Secretary Shahid Pervaiz said that the teachers will be present in all schools from July 15. "It's our responsibility to take parents into confidence about our ability to provide quality education to their children," said Pervaiz, adding that they will work on improving the infrastructure.

Parents should get their children admitted in government schools and if they don't find them up to par, they should demand an explanation for it. "Our salaries are paid from the taxpayers' money and it is our responsibility to provide quality education," he said. He added that one of the reasons girls don't go to schools is the lack of infrastructure, especially washrooms.

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He said that Sindh government had increased the budget for education and health and therefore it is important that the departments deliver on the government's expectations. "We won't tolerate any incompetent teacher in our system and will recognise and award good teachers".

Pakistan Peoples Party General Secretary Javed Nagori said that along with educating the students, it is also important to groom them. The students should know how to behave with elders, the poor and children.

Earlier, an awareness walk was organised which began from Lyari's Government DCTO High School and ended at Government Girls High School Mir Ayub. A large number of teachers and students participated in the walk, in which the participants held placards promoting admission in government schools.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2019.