President General Pervez Musharraf has ordered the Sindh government to lift ban on the jobs in Education Department and recruit teachers on the basis of merit. He issued these orders during a presentation on education reforms in Sindh at the Chief Minister House here on Saturday.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, provincial ministers, advisers and Karachi City Nazim were also present on the occasion. Sindh Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro and Chief Secretary Fazalur Rehman briefed the President regarding the state of education in the province.
It was stated that the government of Sindh stands committed to universalising education in the province and is poised to unfold strong policy actions for raising literacy in Sindh to 100 percent.
The provincial government, it was further stated, is committed to reforming the school education through an education reform programme that would unfold gradual but visible and sustainable improvements in access to quality education in Sindh.
The major objectives being pursued include improving access to education by bringing over 1.64 million out of school children of primary level to the schools and facilitate retention and better completion rates. The President directed that measures should be taken right from the grassroots level for academic reforms and improving the academic standard.
The President said that the federal government would extend its full support in such endeavours. He emphasised the need of enhancing the academic standard in Sindh so as to help spur the development process in the province. He also called for opening up technical colleges and universities so as to help produce trained manpower.
He also pointed to the conversion of the Marine Academy in Karachi into engineering university, which would be imparting education in accordance with the international standards as well as syllabus. Musharraf said that faculty members for this institution would also be hired from abroad.
He asked the Chief Minister to monitor the education and development projects in the province. The President was informed that the government of Sindh has prepared an Education Sector Policy Framework that has been supported by many partners, especially the World Bank.
This framework covers school education reforms for the period 2006-09 and addresses governance and sector management issues, improving access to quality education and improving teaching quality and learning.
During the presentation on development profile of Sindh, the President directed that the development projects in the province should be completed according to the schedule so that the common man should benefit. He also emphasised that the Lyari Expressway and the Northern Bypass projects should be completed without any further delay and impediments should be removed.
He also called for completion of RDOB Phase II and Raine Canal project. He said that projects pertaining to agro-based industry, cattle and dairy farming be prepared which would help generate economic activity as well as create employment opportunities. He was of the view that plants should also be set up for processing vegetables and fruits.
The President said that a settlement, where there are 100 houses, would be provided with clean drinking water facility. During a briefing on electricity by Wapda, he said that the village electrification programme in the province should be speeded up.