Daily Times

KARACHI: With a gap of more than one and half years, the chief minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, has finally approved the appointment of 977 headmasters instead of a total 1,080 qualified who passed written test conducted by the IBA-Sukkur.

“Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved a summary of Education Department to recruit 977 headmasters selected through IBA Sukkur. These headmasters would be posted in the schools being functionalized on the directives of the chief minister Sindh,” according to CM’s spokesman Abdul Rasheed Channa.

According to sources, the total numbers of candidates who had qualified the written test by IBA-test pass stood at 1,080 however only 977 were allowed to join their duties while the rest have been deleted.

Former senior minister for education and literacy Nisar Ahmed Khuhro had launched Sindh Education Sector Plan 2014-18 on November 29, 2014.

In this regard, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) had granted $ 66 million to implement the Sindh Education Sector Plan 2014 -18. Under the said plan, Sindh education department was to recruit 6,700 headmasters through transparent testing system till 2018 however the department has failed to appoint 1,080 meritorious candidates who had passed the written test etc, they said.

They said that the education department had invited the applications for 2,000 vacant posts of headmasters and headmistress through an advertisement No INF/KRY-1833/2015 in the local dailies on May 10, 2015. At least 5,089 candidates were declared eligible and they took part in the written test conducted by the prominent institution IBA Sukkur held on December 20, 2015.

The list of passed candidates was officially published on IBA Sukkur’s website & district wise merit list was also uploaded on the webpage of Education & literacy Department Sindh on December 26, 2015.

The new selection committee was headed by Special Secretary Schools, while Additional Secretary (GA) Education and Literacy Department, Additional Secretary Services-II SGA&CD, Chief Program Manager of Reform Support Unit and Additional Director (Human Resources) as committee members.

The second phase of interviews was held however the education department had failed to issue offer letters to these headmasters, while the Secretary Education had been deliberately delaying the matter. The chief minister has finally approved the appointment of these head teachers.