KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah said Saturday that the newly-approved teaching licence policy would set new standards for educational excellence as it will not only benefit teachers and students but the entire education sector.
His comments came while speaking during a press conference at Sindh Assembly in the port city. During the presser, the education minister said that the provincial government was taking revolutionary steps for reforms in the field of education.
On Thursday, the Sindh government approved the teaching licence policy which was proposed by the School Education & Literacy Department. The education minister had said that the purpose of the teaching licence policy is to bring professional skills to teachers
Shah said that hiring over 60,000 teachers on merit in Sindh was a significant challenge, which was successfully accomplished due to the “serious efforts of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) provincial government”.
The minister said that the Sindh Teachers Education Development Authority (STEDA), Aga Khan, and in collaboration with Durbeen are working together to continue the efforts related to teacher education, teacher training, and licencing.
He emphasised that Sindh has always played a prominent role in exemplary legislation, and Sindh is the first province in Pakistan to develop a teaching policy for the betterment of education, urging other provinces to also work on the licensing policy.
Shah stated that it is essential for a child to have a competent teacher who can educate children in any challenging environment.
He mentioned that due to the shortage of teachers after the recruitment, more than 5,000 closed schools have been reopened, and over 400,000 new children have enrolled in government schools. He pointed out that currently, the number of out-of-school children in Sindh is much lower than in other provinces.
“Sindh Teaching Board is not only being run by the government but also by social and private representatives. The board is empowered to make its own decisions to enhance the quality of teachers and maintain merit,” said the education minister.
He further stated that the licensing policy will be made applicable in both government and private sectors.
On this occasion, Shehzad Roy, who is the head of Zindagi Trust, said that teaching is a science when it comes to understanding a child’s mind and teaching education will make it easier to comprehend.
The singer-cum-philanthropist emphasised that other provinces should also implement the teaching licence as long as government schools are not in proper condition, and the public cannot receive quality education.
