Over 4,000 teachers missing from duties: report

At least 4,533 teachers of Sindh are absent from their duties, while the education department has been able to dismiss only 77 truant educators from service, said a report submitted before the Sindh High Court on Friday.

Thousands of schools in the province have shut down over the past 10 years due to absence of teachers, said Education Secretary Ghulam Akbar Laghari in the report submitted to the court.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) asked Sindh Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput to file a detailed report in two weeks on the education reforms in the province and mandatory free education.

The hearing was held on petitions regarding educational reforms in the province, free education, security and other issues on Friday.

The chief secretary and other officials appeared before the court. The counsel for the petitioner said there is no implementation of the Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2013.

Providing free and standard education to the children is the responsibility of the government. The Education Secretary Ghulam Akbar Laghari also submitted report in the court.

According to report, 4,533 teachers of Sindh are still absent from their duties. Thousands of schools in the province are closed from 10 years.

Report said that among 40,529 schools in the province, 6,407 are without roofs and ratio of admission in these schools is very low also. Moreover, teacher and students are not willing to go to roofless schools.

There is massive shortage of furniture also in the government schools. Issue of purchasing of furniture is in court, that’s why there is no purchasing of furniture for the schools. Many children leave schools because they cannot study on floor.

According to the report, teachers’ organisations are also responsible for the absence of teachers. At least 4,533 teachers are absent from duty and action against them will be complete in four months.

So far, only 77 teachers have been dismissed for truancy and 222 face departmental actions. Majority of the District Education Officers do not meet the criteria of the posts.  The court asked for an action plan the government of Sindh for free education.

At least 622 schools are under construction through schemes of current year, while 900 schools will be upgraded in the next year, education secretary said.

The court raised the question that what action government taking for frees education of children of province who are the age of 5 to 16? Moreover, what facilities will be providing to children to attract them towards education.

The SHC bench in its remarks said there should be better facilities in the schools to attract the parents and they send their children in schools with satisfaction.