Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that he respects his teachers just as much as he respects his parents because they shaped his future and enabled him to compete effectively in his field and emphasised that teachers must earn this kind of respect by providing proper education to their students.
This he said, while speaking at the ceremony of awarding teaching licenses to successful candidates organised by the Sindh Education department here at CM House on Tuesday.
The ceremony was attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, Minister for Livestock Mohammad Ali Malkan, Secretary (School Education) Zahid Abbasi, diplomats, MPAs, educationists, Shahzad Raoi of Zindagi Trust and members of civil society.
The Chief Minister urged all citizens to honour their teachers and to satiate their thirst for knowledge through reverence for these educators, emphasising that such respect must be earned by delivering quality education to students.
Shah recalled that three years ago, the idea of issuing teaching licenses was proposed by Sardar Shah.
He mentioned, "It was said that licenses should be given to those who are shaping our future," describing this initiative as a vital step toward ensuring competency and accountability within the teaching profession.
During the ceremony, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah awarded teaching licenses to 646 successful candidates, including 297 JEST and 195 pre-service licenses.
He highlighted that only 646 out of 4,000 candidates passed the test, which reflects a low success rate of about 16 per cent. He remarked, "We have a lot of work to do to improve education standards."
Murad Ali Shah reaffirmed the government's commitment to introducing highly qualified educators through the Sindh Teacher Education Development Authority (STEDA).
Moreover, he raised concerns over millions of children being out of school and stressed the need to assess the quality of education provided to those, who are enrolled.
He questioned, "How can we prepare children to live a good life in a competitive world?" In addressing the long-term decline in educational quality, Murad Shah pointed out, "The education system has gradually deteriorated over the past 40 or 50 years."
He reminisced about a time when primary schools provided excellent education and noted the disparity in teacher appointments based on merit.
Sindh Minister for Education Sardar Shah addressing the Teaching Licence] ceremony, said that today marks a joyful day for him, as a dream envisioned three years ago has now become a reality.
"Change is welcomed, but it is essential that it is effective," the minister emphasised. The minister highlighted that the implementation of teaching licences would bring significant improvements to the education system.
Referring to misconceptions, he noted that some individuals believed the licences were akin to weapon permits for teachers.
"Initially, we recruited teachers without licences as running schools was our priority," he explained.
Moving forward, all newly recruited teachers will undergo training before being issued licences. Only licensed teachers will be appointed in future recruitments, he confirmed.
"Teaching should be viewed not merely as a job but as a service and a responsibility," stressed Minister Sardar Shah.
Those, who spoke on the occasion were Secretary Education Zahid Abbasi, Dr Sajid Ali of Aga Khan University, Shahzad Raoi, STEDA Executive Director Rasool Bux Shah.
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