Ghost teachers continue to draw salaries

NAWABSHAH: Despite announcement of educational emergency in Sindh, many schools of Shaheed Benazirabad district are either closed or the teachers are busy in their personal businesses, private jobs or working abroad. On the other hand, allegedly someone in the education department has managed to fail the biometric system, which was made necessary to mark attendance of the government school teachers.

In this regard, a press release by a local NGO Ilam Dost Organisation stated that the educational emergency was imposed in schools of Shaheed Benazirabad district and other districts of Sindh in order to improve the standard of education.

It was announced that the schools would not only ensure the regular attendance of teachers, but also provide facilities like clean bathrooms, classroom furniture, fans and potable drinking water.

The Sindh education minister has claimed full attendance of teachers in schools. However, the press release stated that there was no noticeable improvement witnessed in Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar and Naushahro Feroze. The press release stated that more than 200 schools had a dearth of teachers and students go back to their homes after playing. It said that the teachers having political affiliations were working in political parties’ offices, doing jobs in private departments or working abroad, but regularly drawing their salaries.

The leaders of Ilam Dost Organisation sent applications to divisional commissioner, deputy commissioners, secretary education and education minister and prayed for mercy on four million children, who were deprived of their legitimate right to get education.

The organisation’s application appealed that people responsible to create problems with the biometric system should also be held accountable. The organisation requested to make biometric verification a daily norm instead of a weekly norm.

On the other hand, Chief Monitoring Officer Abdullah Dahri said that 14 teachers were marked absent from duty during sudden raids on schools and the report was also communicated to the secretary education.