‘Shortage of secondary schools hits education’

KARACHI:

Sindh Education and Culture Minister Syed Sardar Shah highlighted the issue of discontinuing the education by children in the province.

Speaking at a press conference held in the committee room of the Sindh Assembly, he revealed that a significant majority of children in Sindh stop their education after class five. The main reason behind this situation is the lack of schools offering admission to the sixth grade. Out of the 40,000 schools in Sindh, a staggering 36,000 are primary schools, while the remaining 4,000 are post-primary schools, including higher secondary schools, which cannot cater to the children coming from 36,000 primary schools.

Secretary School Education Sindh Ghulam Akbar Laghari, the head of Zindagi Trust and renowned social figure Shahzad Roy, Dean Fareed Panjwani of the Institute of Education Development at Aga Khan University, and others were present on the occasion.

Sardar Shah disclosed that around 20 per cent of children in the province have never had the opportunity to attend school, reflecting the dire need for immediate action.

The education minister mentioned that efforts were made to provide free education to 10 per cent of underprivileged children but this could not be done.

The minister also drew attention to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the closure of a number of schools.

Furthermore, he revealed that floods had destroyed 20,000 schools in Sindh, while 13,000 schools were deemed unsuitable for educational activities.

The minister announced plans to revive 2,000 schools using the allocated budget.

He mentioned the possibility of adopting a contract model for teachers, even if their teaching licences expire, to ensure continuity in the education process.

The minister also shared the revolutionary steps, being taken by the Sindh government to reform the education sector. He mentioned that the approval of the Teaching Licence Policy, which requires teachers to pass exams and obtain licences, is similar to doctors and engineers. This policy aims to uplift the education system and benefit both teachers and the students.

Expressing his satisfaction, Sardar Shah acknowledged the successful recruitment of over 60,000 qualified teachers in Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2023.