Out of the 7000 government primary and secondary schools which were closed down in the province over a period of 10 years, 2500 have been reopened. One of the main reasons is believed to be shortage of teachers. To cope with this ugly situation, the Sindh Education Department has filled vacant posts by recruiting 7000 teachers to ensure quality education in rural areas of Sindh.
The department is going to recruit 13,000 more teaching staff to minimise the number of closed government educational institutions and in this regard the department has received applications and will conduct tests and interviews soon, Alia Shahid, Chairman Sindh Reforms Unit (SRU) said this while talking to Business Recorder on Friday.
She said that some schools could not be restored because these were built in areas where there is no population. "The education department has a plan to shift these ghost schools to such areas where there is need for more schools," she added.
She said that on the directives of Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the Sindh Education Department has formed an inspection team, which would conduct survey of all government educational institutions and prepare a comprehensive report, which would be helpful in introducing reforms in the education department.
She said that Chief Minister's Inspection Team (CMIT) would visit these closed schools to decide whether these would be reopened or remain closed for more time. "It is expected that the remaining schools would be restored by the end of this year," she said.
She said that more than seven thousand primary and secondary schools are lying closed due to shortage of teachers and non-release of educational funds to facilitate the teaching and non-teaching staff of schools in rural areas. "The new democratic government has taken strict measures to restore ghost schools in the province,"
Giving the reason of closure of these schools, she said that the previous provincial governments were seen least concerned to promote education in the rural areas of Sindh and they have stopped recruitment of teachers since last past five years due to which these schools were closed. She said that the shabby existing structures of school buildings have turned them into ruins, which could not be restored due to security reasons.
She alleged that only little recruitment was made in the past on political basis, and the appointed staff working as the political workers rather than teaching staff. There was no monitoring system in the education department to ensures recruitment purely on merit, but present government has set a new record by recruiting teachers purely on merit, she said.
She said that the education department has now appointed qualified and experienced primary teachers, those who have done their graduation and masters recently and discouraged intermediate candidates. She said that the education department has a plan to hold teachers' training programs and workshops to enhance the level of knowledge of the teachers. "The education funds for teachers' training would be spent judiciously," she said.