Approximately 540 previously closed schools have reopened, according to information provided to the Sindh High Court (SHC), but 2,769 government schools in the province are still without teachers.
The SHC’s lone bench, presided over by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, received an update on the current teacher hiring procedure. Based on census statistics, a committee has been formed to assess the demand for school staffing.
According to government officials, the finance department is giving public-sector school repairs top priority. The Japan International Cooperation Agency proposed that the initial phase of the program target 250 schools.
The SHC summoned the finance secretary to explain the delay in accepting the new expenditures (SNEs) filed by the education department to reopen closed schools and issued a show-cause notice for his absence.
The school authorities were earlier instructed by the court to draft recruitment regulations, noting that over 7,000 teachers are scheduled to retire by December 2025. The court was hearing a petition from 2019.
The SHC mandated that no school close for lack of staff and that the hiring process begin six months in advance of teacher retirement.
The secretary of the department of school education said that the court’s ruling had been followed, adding that the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) had been reminded about teacher appointments.
The SPSC chairman was given a three-month deadline by the bench to finish the hiring procedure.
According to the article, new instructors would be sent to institutions that are financially stable and anticipate staff retirements soon.
The SPSC suggested subject specialist instructors, and the SHC ordered that appointment orders be sent out within 15 days. The court emphasized that in order to guarantee the SNEs’ operation, closed schools must have their approval.
As directed by the court, the finance department was mandated to expeditiously approve the SNEs in order to guarantee that all residents continue to receive an education.
The bench cautioned the secretary of school education to cooperate or face an in-person appearance, and it demanded a detailed account of all cash received from foreign contributors during the previous five years.
The court also ordered the school education department to incorporate a provision in appointment orders detailing the repercussions of breaking the transfer policy, and to establish a policy akin to that of the college department, requiring newly appointed teachers to serve a minimum of one year within their designated districts.
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