Favouritism in Sindh Education department

Favouritism continues to make presence felt
Karachi, Sep 01: Despite tall claims made by the Sindh government and authorities at the Education department, practices of out-of-turn postings, detailments and hiring of non-technical staff at administrative post are still being carried out, it has been learnt.

Earlier this week, Education Executive District Officer (EDO) Muhammad Ibrahim Kumbhar issued a office order, number EDOE/Esst./CDGK/ (16994-98)/2009, according to which, Mazhar Jawaid, PET, BS-17, was allowed to work in the office of the Assistant District Officer, Education, Elementary (Male), Gulberg Town, till further orders.

Ironically, Jawaid, who is a physical trainer (PET), is posted at the office rather than a school, where his services would be put to better use.

The notification further said that Mazhar Jawaid, PET, BS-17, working in GBLSS Kamyab, Block 16, F. B. Area, against the post of Higher School Teacher is transferred and posted in GBSS, Allama Iqbal, Block 6, F. B. Area, Gulberg Town against Muhammad Saddiq, PET, BS-17. Furthermore, Saddiq was transferred and posted in GBSS, F. C. Area, Liaquatabad Town on administrative grounds till further orders.

In another case, Asadullah Bhutto, a Subject Specialist Cadre (BS-17), Government NJV Girls Higher Secondary School, Karachi was transferred and posted as Assistant District Officer (ADO), Education, (Male) Gulberg Town, Karachi and notification number NoSO(S-1)9-1/T&P/09 was issued to this effect. Despite the fact that the order was cancelled by the authorities, Bhutto somehow managed to get himself restored and became ADO Lyari.

Other subject specialist cadre (BS-17) working as ADOs at different towns include Amer Ali (New Karachi), Zahid Abbas (Gulshan), Bashir Ahmed Abbasi (Keamari), Muzaffar Ali Chana (Korangi), Chaman Lal (Landhi), Azizullah Odho (Baldia), Sadaruddin Ujjan (Orangi), Ali Nawaz Baloch (Bin Qasim), Imtiaz Bhugio (Sadder) and Ahmed Bux Bhutto. Many of these individuals did not qualify for this post, as only a person of administrative cadre can be posted as ADO.

On the other hand, Najma Mukaddem (Shah Faisal), Ali Jan (Bin Qasim), Shahida Hussain (Baldia), Naheed Kausar (New Karachi), are deployed as ADO (Female) by the Elementary Education District Officer (Female) Farnaz Riaz. Riaz herself is a Subject Specialist, but interestingly enough, she does not have the authority to assign anybody to look after the post of ADO. However, the afore-mentioned female ADOs are working without any difficulties, and no departmental action has been taken against them.

Similarly, Zahida Bhugio (Gulshan), Humaria Noorlain (Korangi) and Mussarat Jabeen (Liaquatabad) are Subject Specialists but working as ADOs. Sonaber Gul Unarr (Lyari) and Shaista Shaikh (Jamshed Town) also belong to College Cadre, while Razia Sultana works as ADO Orangi, but is reportedly a close friend of Farnaz Riaz.

Several colleges and comprehensive schools failed to provide good results in the recent intermediate examinations, with one plausible explanation being the posting of subject specialists and college cadres at administrative posts. As a result, seats of specific courses continue to be vacant at these educational institutes.

When contacted Senior Education Minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq regarding the issue, he said that this has happened, as there was no policy or system to check it. "For the past decade, there was no policy and no promotions were made to fill the gap. As a result, favourites were placed on seats regardless of their ability for that post," he said.

As many as 3,000 educators, from primary school teachers to associate professors at colleges, have been promoted to fill the gap in the education system, he said, adding that now the education department has come up with an idea, which has the approval of the Sindh Chief Minister, and the department would soon advertise it.

Haq also said that management order is in process, and it would be implemented in the education system soon. "Different cadres would be introduced under this system, and teachers cannot transfer or switch to another one," he said. The management cadre will be uniform and teachers would select a cadre of their own choice, adding that once the policy is introduced in the education system, then this problem will cease to exist.

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Schools, colleges closed today
Karachi: The Sindh government has announced that all educational institutions in the city will remain closed on Tuesday.

Sindh Chief Secretary Fazal-ur-Rehman said that in view of the forecast for more rain, the government decided that all educational institutions - universities, colleges and government and private schools - would remain closed on Tuesday. Dawn

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FUUAST notifies date for submission of exam forms
Karachi: The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST), Karachi Monday notified that the examination forms for B. Sc. (Hon) part-I, II & III and M. Sc. part-I and final could be obtained from September 1 to 15 from National Bank Urdu University branch and submitted at concerned department. The candidates who failed last year in B. Sc. (Hon) part-I and II and M. Sc. part-I and final have to submit examination forms separately for both years. The news

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SMI to celebrate Founder's Day today
Karachi: September 1, is the 124th Foundation Day of Sindh's prestigious educational institute Sindh Madressatul Islam (SMI). It was founded by a group of learned and enlightened Sindhi Muslims led by Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi in 1885 at Karachi.

The main objective of its establishment was to impart modern education in English language besides in Sindhi, Gujrati and Urdu to the young Sindhi Muslims. It was the period when Sindh was a colony of British Empire and the indigenous people of Sindh were deprived of their fundamental rights including their share in power, jobs and other departments, SMI spokesman said.

Hassanally Effendi sought suggestions from Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in this respect too as he had already experienced such idea by establishing Aligarh Oriental College. He also met philanthropists and heads of various princely states of undivided India like Hyderabad Deccan, Junagardh, Khairpur Mirs and landlords, chieftains and other influential persons of Sindh who fully supported him, the spokesperson added.

"Effendi then hired a rental building in Boltan Market Karachi and started classes there with students selected from each taluka of Sindh," adding that "after it, a plot was received from the government, where Sindh Madressah's main building was constructed".

Its foundation stone was laid by the then Viceroy of India Lord Duffein in 1897 and was completed in 1890. Sindh Madressah was elevated to the level of college in 1943 and was inaugurated by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah on 21st June 1943. But later on such status was snatched from it. In 1995, the institution again received college status with the efforts of its principal Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh, he added.

Now, Sindh Madressah wants its three buildings (Hassanally House. Khairpur House and Sardar House) back, in which S.M. Science College exits today and demand the Sindh Government to shift it into another building owned by the provincial government. Sindh Madressah wants to reconvert such houses into hostels and invite the students from all over the country, who want to get modern education at the alma mater of the founder of Pakistan, he further said.

He added in 1972 Sindh Madressah was nationalized by the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and was given under the control of Sindh Government. After two years, the Federal Government took its control by declaring it a national heritage due to its association with the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and other freedom fighters and was put under the administrative control of the federal education ministry.

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Students of public schools at risk of disease outbreak
Karachi: Almost all government-run schools in Keamari Town, the second largest municipal jurisdiction of the city, are without restrooms and satisfactory sanitation facilities, local activists said. The restrooms at schools in these villages have either disintegrated due to the lack of care and regular maintenance, or students have atopped using them due to appalling sanitary conditions.

The town has a total of 108 government-run primary schools. In union council (UC) Gabopat in Keamari Town, which comprised 104 villages, there are 38 primary schools, almost none of which have functional toilets.

A similar situation exists in the island localities of Karachi, which also fall in the Keamari Town jurisdiction. The provincial government had launched a sanitation project at Shamspir Island and laid sewerage lines to facilitate the community. Activists from the area said, however, that people do not have sufficient water to use and keep the system intact. Residents of such areas use mangrove shrubs to relieve themselves instead of using the restrooms in their houses.

Bona fide Fishermen and Boat Owners Welfare Association President Asif Bhatti, who also represents the island community, said that the sanitation system at Shamspir is disquieting while the situation at Baba, Bhit and Salehabad island villages is slightly better. Furthermore, he said that their entire domestic waste is directed back into the sea, which poisons their sources of livelihood.

Activists have said that long ago, the defunct Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) had built combined communal toilets in various areas, which have now almost entirely been encroached upon by land grabbers in connivance with the local municipal administration. Political groups in the area are also involved in this lucrative business of grabbing lands of abandoned communal toilets and depriving communities of their amenity plots, they alleged.

Activist Khuda Ganj said that a non-government organisation has also set up community toilets in a few coastal villages in Keamari Town. Local women believe, however, that more water is needed to keep the toilets clean and since there is a scarcity of water in these areas, they continue to practice their traditional ways, leaving the toilets unused.

A spokesman for the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) said that the fisherfolk community scattered in three towns of Karachi, Bin Qasim, Keamari and Lyari, are still waiting to hear any good news about the launch of an uplift scheme in their areas and situation of the entire Karachi coastal area is also the same.

A Keamari Town health official (THO) was reluctant to respond to the queries regarding any new budget allocations for sanitation or the expected impact of the deplorable sanitation system within his jurisdiction. He said that the town Nazim or other officials should be approached for this. The TMO Keamari declined to comment, and said that it was the responsibility of the THO and the Town Education Officer. UC Gabopat Nazim Mubarak Sanghu slammed the indifferent attitude of town officials towards the issues of neglected suburban communities, and that that the UC was trying to resolve its problems with the support of the community. The news

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