The provincial education minister has been doing his utmost to prop up the crumbling education edifice of Sindh, with his efforts including the merit-based recruitment of teachers. However, one good minister and a few sincere assistants cannot fix a deeply broken system. Aside from a few exceptions, the education officialdom and teachers’ unions are not interested in promoting education. Many teachers also appear to have joined the profession as their last option and often harbour aspirations of careers in other fields. There is no harm in such career-building aspirations if they do not interfere with teaching duties but, sadly, this is often not the case.
The small number of motivated and dedicated teachers can be transferred by predatory education officials to remote locations. Despite their low salaries, these transferred teachers often end up paying a hefty amount to corrupt officials to reverse their transfer. At the community level, unscrupulous elements vandalise school buildings and equipment by doing things like stealing bricks. This anti-education environment is eating away at the heart of Sindh and must be fixed before it is too late.
Gulsher Panhwer
Johi
