SHC directs sessions judges to submit reports on distribution of textbooks

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed district and sessions judges to submit reports with regard to distribution of textbooks to children of public schools all over the province.

The direction came on a petition of Ashfaq Ali Panhwar seeking an inquiry into alleged corruption and irregularities into the distribution of textbooks to public schools’ students in various districts of the province.

The petitioner submitted that the education department failed to provide textbooks to the public school students despite the initiation of the academic year due to irregularities and corruption by the textbook board, publishers and education department officials.

A high court division bench headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar observed that district and sessions judges all over Sindh shall assign the task to judicial magistrates of their respective districts who shall call heads of the public schools to visit schools of their respective jurisdiction to verify distribution of textbooks to children.

The court observed that sessions judges shall file reports on whether or not respective schools and children received textbooks from the textbook board for the current academic year. It also directed the relevant committees to tell the court what steps have been taken by them with regard to the distribution of textbooks to schools.

The court also directed the secretary education to submit details of officers working with the education secretariat or on an ad-hoc or deputation basis on the next date of hearing.

In another petition with regard to the shifting of education department offices at a girls high school in Jamshed Road area, the court directed the secretary education to conduct an inquiry and submit a report on under what circumstances offices of administration have been established at the girls high school.

Petitioner Mushtaq Ali submitted that his daughters were studying in Safai Khan Memorial School where offices of the education department of District East have been established. He submitted that due to establishment of education department offices, girls were facing hardships as their classes and labs were converted into education department offices.

He requested the court to direct the education department to remove offices of eh district education office elementary, secondary and primary east from the government girls schools in New Town.

The court issued notices to the secretary education, EDO and others and called their comments on the next date of the hearing. The court also directed the education secretary to conduct an inquiry over the shifting of offices to the girls high schools and submit an inquiry report.