SHC seeks details of public schools with basic facilities

The Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) and the provincial education secretary have been directed to submit a report on functional public schools as well as government efforts for reviving the institutions that have stopped running.

The Sindh High Court’s (SHC) direction came on Thursday on identical petitions filed by rights activists and organisations seeking implementation of the Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2013.

The petitioners’ counsel said that various provisions require the government’s immediate attention for the law’s smooth implementation in letter and spirit, adding that Section 9 of the SEF Act 1992 also lists the foundation’s aims and objectives.

SEF Managing Director Naheed Shah Durrani told the court that efforts are being made for the law’s proper implementation. She said they have ensured 100 enrolments of students across the province in the past three years.

The SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar said that according to the Education Sector Plan filed in an identical matter, 6,375 schools have been declared dangerous and 18,838 need repairs, while there is no information on 319 schools.

The court asked the education secretary what efforts have been made to reclaim illegally occupied or encroached school buildings. The bench said that Section 6 of the compulsory education act lists the duties of the government, local authority and parents.

Justice Mazhar said that its sub-section (2) states that the government shall encourage enterprises, institutions and other segments of society by offering incentives to establish schools to facilitate free and compulsory education.

He said the law provides that privately owned or privately managed schools shall also provide free education to such at least 10 per cent of the students between the ages of five and 16.

The education secretary said he recently convened a meeting with the private school management association, which shall draw up some modalities for the proper implementation of this condition.

The court directed him and Naheed to submit a report by October 5 on functional public schools as well as government efforts for reviving the institutions that have stopped running.