‘Govt, education dept equally responsible for failing standards’

Speakers at a seminar criticise government for failing to provide free education.

HYDERABAD: The provincial education department and the teachers’ associations took a rap for the deteriorating education standards at a seminar organised by Sindh Community Foundation in Tando Muhammad Khan on Sunday.

The district, which ranked 134th out of the 140 districts of Pakistan in a survey of education standards by SDPI and Alif Ailaan, has seen falling literacy rates among both boys and girls.

A representative of the  foundation, Javed Soz Halai, pointed out that girls’ enrollment in Tando Muhammad Khan’s schools was just 28 per cent, while those who have completed their primary education are still less with 24 per cent. He also underlined major problems associated with the schools, including lack of water, toilets and infrastructure. Over 44 per cent of the schools are without water, 48 per cent without toilets and 49 per cent without boundary wall in the district, he reported



“It is alarming that though the enrollment is around 45 per cent of the children’s population in the district, the number of children who complete their primary and secondary education is hardly 20 per cent,” he said. “The present state shows that the government has failed to perform its constitutional obligation of providing free education to children.”

Pakistan Peoples Party’s MPA Syed Aijaz Shah Bukhari defended the government with clichéd statements, saying, “They are trying their best to improve the education standards and literacy rate in Tando Muhammad Khan.” He also put responsibility of the poor enrollment and education system on the parents for failing to raise voice against the system. “I will take this issue of Tando Muhammad Khan to the Sindh Assembly to ask the education officials to explain this decline,” he assured.

Ghulam Nabi Morai, the owner of a private regional television channel, came down hard on the teachers’ association, accusing them of being largely responsible for the worsening education standards. “While these associations press the government for their demands about pay raises and promotions, such a pressure is never developed for improvement in curriculum and education standards.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2014.