The Sindh Education Department has decided to block the IDs of 6,342 absentee teachers. The department has also decided to take disciplinary action against them.
The education department’s letter states that with reference to the summary approval of the education minister, before blocking the IDs, every absentee teacher would be issued a notice by the district education officer (DEO) concerned to appear before the committee headed by the respective chief monitoring officer, along with the DEO and Taluka education officer concerned in three days.
Failing to appear before the committee will result in the blocking of the absentee teachers’ IDs, while a major penalty will also be imposed upon them.
The school education & literacy department’s Directorate of Monitoring & Evaluation has issued a letter advising the relevant officers to submit the notices issued by their offices, the decisions taken by the committees, and the speaking orders to the directorate within three working days.
In the light of the appointment, transfer & posting rules, and pursuant to the summary approved by the minister, they have been directed to complete the process within a week and submit the report to the directorate.
Field inspections
To enhance transparency and efficiency in education infrastructure projects, Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah chaired a meeting with officers from the school education department’s Education Works Division on 11-March-2025.
The meeting decided to establish special monitoring committees, led by School Education Secretary Zahid Ali Abbasi, to ensure direct oversight of development schemes across the province.
An in-depth review of ongoing development schemes and other critical projects was conducted. Shah ordered fast-tracking the completion of all development projects within the current fiscal year so that new initiatives can commence the following year.
The meeting was informed that 2,136 schemes have already been completed in the ongoing financial year, while several others are in their final stages of completion. To strengthen accountability and transparency, Shah ordered the forming of a committee at secretary level to inspect and review completed school projects. He emphasised that these monitoring committees must conduct physical inspections of newly constructed schools and submits facts-based reports.
“We can’t blindly trust paper-based reports; it is crucial to physically inspect the completed schools to assess their quality,” remarked Shah, highlighting the need for on-site evaluations. He also issued strict directives to chief engineers, instructing them to conduct daily field visits and submit real-time progress updates via WhatsApp. He said he would visit project sites to evaluate the quality and pace of work.
Taking a forward-thinking approach to STEM education, Shah ordered expediting the establishment of science centres across the province. He urged swift action on land allocation and other necessary approvals to ensure the timely launch of science centres at divisional level.
Published in News Daily on 12-March-2025.