Winning hearts and minds: Sindh to double edu budget
It currently spends about seven billion rupees.
“We allocate around four per cent of the budget but only one per cent is spent on education,” said Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq. “On the contrary, Malaysia allocates and spends around 23 per cent of its budget on education.” He did not give a specific figure.
As if a step in this direction, the Sindh Teacher Education Development Authority Bill 2012 was put to the house. The assembly unanimously passed it to establish the Sindh Teacher Education Development Authority.
The supplementary bill, which was not on the agenda, was moved by Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq. The minister will chair the authority’s board, which will work under the government’s direction. On the board will be representatives from public and private universities, educationists, retired bureaucrats as well as representatives of NGOs. It will include three MPAs, including the chairman of the standing committee on education.
Other members will be former Karachi University vice-chancellor Dr Abdul Wahab, the ex-vice-chancellor the University of Sindh Mazharul Haq Siddiqui, SZABIST’s Suleman Shaikh, Sadiqa Salahuddin of the Indus Resources Centre and Captain Usman Issani, a former secretary.
This authority will make mandatory the training of teachers. Primary school teachers who complete the training will be given jobs as elementary school teachers at grade 16. The board will survey and study teacher education and create guidelines for minimum criteria.
Haq said that no credible institute existed for teacher training in Sindh where fake certified courses like Primary Teacher Certificate and the certificate of teaching were sold in the black market for Rs2,000. “No teacher should be able to teach in a public or private school without qualifying from the Sindh Teacher Education Development Authority,” he added.
A majority of MPAs endorsed the idea but complained they did not have enough time to study the content of the bill, which according to them was suddenly moved in the house without consultation.
Members of the PPP seemed upset with each other. When Imdad Pitafi suggested nominating five MPAs in each district as members of the education board, Haq responded by saying, “This is not the time for jokes. Please be serious.”
“I am not joking like you always do at the party parliamentary meetings,” retorted Pitafi. “As a lawmaker I am serious about my suggestion.”
Meanwhile, the PML-F continued its boycott of the proceedings over Shazia Marri’s remarks against Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara VII.
No debate took place on the law and order situation due to the absence of the chief minister. Marri said that the CM is likely to present their four-year performance today (Tuesday) and wind up the debate on law and order as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 8th, 2012.
COMMENTS (11)
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Mirza saab, at least you should appreciate the step he is taking..someone has to right? obviously it wouldn't be easy for u to praise politicians who want to actually do something good for the country. If you have details of his and his family's assets do provide it instead of putting false accusations. If you dont have faith, you shouldn't even bother wasting your time reading this and commenting.
Utopian- If his son is a Director and is actually getting Rs 650000/- as you said, I will do whatever you say and I mean it. You wana bet?Utopian- If his son is a Director and is actually getting Rs 650000/- as you said, I will do whatever you say and I mean it. You wana bet?
How do you expect me to believe that the money would not be swindled by Pir Mazhar and his henchmen. You see examples of what runs in the family such as his son being employed as a Director at KESC withe remuneration package of Rs 650000/- per month with no prior experience of managing a corner shop let alone a major utility corporation and lose all hope this news should be giving us.
Pir Mazherul Haq and his immediate family keep all their assets abroad . . . he is just interested in making personal gain . . . don't expect anything for Pakistani nation from this person.
Capacity building programs in Government are all "paid vacation trips"
Appreciative action by Sindh education minister But how can we check that he really double the spending on the education budget .There is rampant corruption in the education department,He himself acknowledged that in 2000 thousand teachers training certificate available in the market.
Mr. pir mazahar ul haq has not taken any step against the private school management ,they are taking exorbitant fees.from the poor parents.
There is instances of horrendous cheating goings-on in the metric and intermediate exam under his very nose,could he bothers to ameliorate the situation.
At least a good attempt, this is very necessary pertaining to the falling standard of teachers in pakistan and especially sindh. This kind of institute should also examine college and university's teachers education background and verification of their degrees as well. Govt. must strict the rules of hiring of lecturers for University and minimum qualification of lecturer must be of masters by research.
Not only increase the budget but appoint independent council who over sight the budget spending.
This is hollow claim; these feudal politicians cannot make difference and people will suffer at their hands
Good decision indeed. Not only allocation, but government should make sure to spend whole the budget till the end of financial year
The culture of rampant cheating in Board and University exams will bring the increase in edu budget to a nought. The education minister can bring positive change in education system by installing video recording camers in all exam halls.
I hope it is just the start and continues like that. We need to spend on education and not on the bombs.