The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the chief secretary to submit district-wise breakdown of the students who have recently been enrolled at government schools in various districts of the province.
The order came on identical petitions seeking the implementation of the laws concerning education, orphanages and child protection.Filing a compliance report in court, the CS said that a campaign has been under way to boost the enrolment of students at public schools across the province. He said that 300,000 new students have recently been enrolled in various districts.
An SHC division bench headed by Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed directed the CS to submit district-wise break-up of the enrolments, mentioning the names and child registration (B-form) number of each student, along with their school enrolment number and the name of the institution where they have been enrolled.
The CS said that 14 new schools have been opened, while more schools are also ready to be opened, for which a recruitment process is also being started so that more schoolteachers can be hired.The bench directed the CS to place on record the relevant details of the schools, including the name, location and grade/status of each of the 14 institutions.
The court also directed the CS to place on record the relevant particulars of the 189 schoolteachers who were removed from service after being found to be delinquent.
The education secretary said that a mobile app has been developed as a pilot project in seven districts of the province, and it will be launched on January 15 to ensure the attendance of schoolteachers. He said the app will geotag 9,112 schools and 32,553 teachers.
The director general of the Sindh Child Protection Authority (SCPA) said that a child helpline 1121 has been established by them, and it is operational 24/7.He said the helpline is connected will all the 30 Sindh districts and provides a quick referral mechanism if any violation of children’s rights is reported from any part of the province. He added that the helpline has also been integrated with the Pakistan emergency number 911.Regarding the anti-beggary campaign launched in District South of Karachi, the DG said that 36 children have been rescued to date, and they are presently accommodated at the shelter home in District Malir.
