In a decisive move, Interim Chief Minister (CM) of Sindh, Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqir, has issued orders to address the issue of long-absent teachers in government schools across the province. A crucial meeting of the school education sector was convened under the stewardship of Justice Maqbool Baqir, during which Education Minister Rana Hussain and Secretary Shireen Narejo provided a comprehensive briefing.
One of the key revelations was the implementation of a biometric attendance system aimed at ensuring the punctuality of teachers in schools. However, the caretaker Chief Minister emphasized that mere attendance was insufficient; teachers must actively engage in training and educating students.
The spokesperson for the caretaker chief minister stated that a stringent inspection regime for schools would be established to identify teachers who have been absent for an entire year, with the intention of their dismissal. Additionally, measures to combat the presence of drugs in schools, an issue also plaguing private institutions, were discussed.
Justice Maqbool Baqir further committed to personally verifying the distribution of textbooks within the next seven days and promptly releasing grants to all educational institutions. The caretaker Chief Minister also expressed concern over the Election Commission’s suspension of the appointment of 25,000 selected teachers in Sindh, highlighting the urgency of addressing this matter.
