Sindh is the first province to allocate a dedicated budget for eco-friendly activities, particularly tree plantation, at the school level, said Minister for Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah on Tuesday.
He issued directives to launch a tree plantation campaign in schools across Sindh and to ensure the mandatory return of free textbooks from students after annual examinations. He emphasized that promoting plantation is the need of the hour to effectively address environmental pollution, deforestation, and climate change.
Shah directed school heads to utilize the “school-specific budget” to initiate plantation drives within their schools, aiming to install a sense of environmental responsibility among students. He further said Sindh will be made not only education-friendly but also environment-friendly. On the minister’s instructions, the School Education Department has issued a formal notification to launch plantation campaigns in educational institutions.
Under this initiative, tree plantation drives will be carried out in all schools during the spring season. Departmental officers will seek weekly reports on plantation activities, while district education officers (DEOs) will ensure that all schools are taking serious and effective measures in this regard.
Meanwhile, on the minister’s directives, important orders have also been issued regarding book banks established in government schools. As per the orders, students must return free textbooks after annual examinations. The return of textbooks will be recorded on students’ result cards, and proper records of issued and returned books will be maintained. All collected books will be safely stored in school book banks.
Further instructions state that DEOs will submit updated details of book bank stock from their respective districts. District education officers will provide these details to regional directors, who will then compile and submit district-wise consolidated data to the department.
