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The PPP-led Sindh government had won plaudits by one and all when it raised the education budget by a ballpark figure of Rs45 billion in one fell swoop last year. That step alone endeared the provincial administration to the academia, for the latter perceived in the move an earnest desire to improve the state of education. Worryingly, that goodwill appears to have been squandered by the little measureable progress made in the sector even after pouring a staggering sum. Part of the reason may be the ad-hocism espoused by the education department’s head honchos. A case in point is a news report which says that despite the devolution of powers under the Eighteenth Amendment, adhoc appointments and decisions continue to mar the working of the Sindh education ministry. This is amply evidenced in the fact that at least 10 institutions related to the education sector are without permanent administrative heads.

These institutions are of vital significance for the furtherance of the education-for-all effort. They deal with such key functions as designing textbooks, formulating curriculum, teaching the teachers and inspection of schools. Not only do these allied departments receive hefty budgetary allocations, but also collect grants from development partners such as the World Bank and the European Union. Leaving these institutions without permanent chiefs reflects poorly on the Sindh government’s priorities. For his part, Sindh Education Minister Nisar Khuhro justifies the adhoc appointments by saying they were to ensure the continuity of operations till a permanent appointment was made in place of retired or transferred officials. But this state of affairs may be the result of bureaucratic manoeuvering. The bureaucrats are known to watch over their interest and work behind the scenes to influence induction to key posts. That may well be the case here. Be that as it may, the elected office holders’ image and reputation is, after all, at stake when the government system malfunctions. They must put their foot down to set things right.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2014.

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