Sindh govt lifts ban on teachers associations
Karachi:The ban on teachers welfare associations across the province has been lifted after instructions were sent to Sindh Chief Secretary Fazalur Rehman by Chief Minister Qaim Ali; an official notification will be issued on Tuesday, The News has learnt.
Addressing a crowded press conference on Monday at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), Senior Minister for Education, Literacy and Criminal Prosecution, Pir Mazhar ul Haq said that he agreed in principle with fulfilling the just demands of teachers welfare associations of Sindh. Delegations of primary and secondary school teachers and professors and lecturers associations met me at my office. I listened to their problems and promised to address what was right and within my reach, Haq said. I have already met two of their demands by restoring 739 teachers who were sent on forced leaves and now by requesting the CM to lift the ban which was imposed by [former Sindh CM] Arbabs government.
The education minister urged journalists to not compare the education sector with other departments because according to him there were a number of problems that were out of his reach. I accepted the post of the education minister as a challenge and want to make some contribution like my grandfather Pir Illahi Bux, he said. I want to improve our education system by moving it from a declining one to the standard one.
The time scale of teachers, he said, had been increased in the rest of Pakistan and should therefore be increased in Sindh as well. Haq further said that he was preparing a management order for the postings and transfers of teachers. In return for all my efforts, the teachers have agreed to attend schools punctually and join their duties so that students do not suffer, he said.
He further said that 13,000 teachers would appear in a written test soon and they had to meet the conditions of the World Bank. Firstly they had to score at least 60 per cent in the test and secondly they will be posted to government schools only if they were residents of the area where the schools were situated.
Haq further said that they were giving Rs100 million to each district of Sindh to improve the education system. He further said that the money would be spent on the construction of boundary walls, maintenance of school buildings and the provision of missing facilities such as restrooms and water coolers.
A monitoring committee, including civil society activists and media representatives, will be set up to check progress in this connection, he said, adding that he will seek reports every two months to avoid the misuse of funds.
