Khursheed Shah criticizes government's misplaced priorities
Only 5 per cent to 6 per cent of private schools could claim to be providing quality education
Dunya News Report (Jibran Dost)
ISLAMABAD: Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Saturday expressed great concern over the fading standard of education stating that only 5 per cent to 6 per cent of private schools could claim to be providing quality education.
At the same time, Mr Shah added that instead of directing more funds towards the education sector, the federal government was focused to invest in projects of advertisement such as Metro Buses and the Orange Line Train.
Earlier this week, Sindh education department launched a Rs 2 billion project to supply missing facilities in 10,000 schools, out of which, work on 300 schools will be completed by the end of June 2016.
“We are going to provide facilities to 300 schools by the end of June 2016,” said Senior Minister for Education Nisar Khuhro.
The decision to commence the project was taken in a meeting headed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the Chief Minister House in Karachi on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by Senior Minister for Education Nisar Khuhro, principal secretary to the chief minister Alamuddin Bullo, education secretary Fazal Pechuho, additional chief secretary (development) Mohammad Waseem and finance secretary Sohail Rajput.
During the meeting, it was directed that essential steps be taken to ensure that missing facilities in schools including lavatories and compound walls are provided to the schools.
“Under the security plan of schools, compound walls are the most important,” said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
In the first phase of the project, the education department will ensure that 1,600 schools are provided with missing facilities of lavatories, compound walls, drinking water and other facilities through the project.
Apart from the missing facilities, education secretary Fazal Pechuho expressed that as much as six different subsectors will receive assistance through the development project that includes elementary education scheme, teacher’s education scheme, Sindh Education Foundation scheme, Secondary Education scheme, college education scheme and others.
On the other hand, Sindh government also decided to advance security to educational institutions by deploying Police and Rangers in areas where schools are located, improving intelligence work and patrolling along the borders of Sindh-Balochistan and Sindh-Punjab.
“We have to work out a concrete plan to protect educational institutions whether they are operating in public or private sector,” Qaim Ali Shah said.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the CM House. DG Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar, the Secretary Home, Comissioner Karachi, Additional IGP Sindh, Additional IGP Karachi Mushtaq Maher, representatives of different agencies and others attended the meeting.
