Jeay Sindh Students Federation (JSSF) Central President Ashraf Kalhoro has said that there are 250 private schools and colleges in the entire Larkana division where no poor student is admitted.
He said that white-collar mafia is very active in the shape of private schools which has ruined the education system in Sindh province. He was addressing press conference at local press club Tuesday along with Aziz Shaikh, Yawar Mahesar, Tarique Korai, Faisal Abbasi, Rahib Soomro, Faraz Khuhawar and others. He said children of bureaucrats, landlords, Waderas and Jagirdars are getting education in private educational institutions but children of poverty-stricken people are denied this facility due to exorbitant fees. He said efforts are constantly made to destroy education system in Sindh which will be very unfortunate and JSSF will never allow this conspiracy to succeed. He said massive corruption in the education department has further aggravated the already worst situation.
He said education standard has declined to an extent that even poor people do not want to get their kids admitted in government-run schools which he termed very alarming situation. He said policy of getting 10 students admitted in private schools on admission of every 100 children is not being implemented by the owners of private schools but no action has so far been taken against them by the government which shows that government itself is not interested to raise literacy rate for their own vested political interests and bring street children to schools. He said if this declared policy is not forcibly enforced then it will amount to snatch basic rights of those children who want to be literate. He also condemned federal education secretary’s statement of banning cultural activities in educational institutions which he termed illegal and unconstitutional. He said Sindhis have thousands of years old culture which is acknowledged worldwide and one-sided action will not be tolerated. He demanded an apology from Muhammad Aslam Ranjha, federal education secretary He also demanded of provincial chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, education minister and secretary to impose ban on all private educational institutions to end double standards which he also termed discrimination. He further added that if this is not possible then fees should be reduced so that children of poor people may also get education in private schools, colleges and universities adding failing which, he warned, massive protests will be organised from 8th to 19th March across Sindh for acceptance of their just demand. He also announced schedule of protests according to which in Larkana protest will be held on 8th March, 9th March in Kambar-Shahdadkot, 10th in Jacobabad, 11th in Kashmore, 12th at Ghotki, 13th at Khairpur University, 14th Khairpur, 15th Nawabshah, 17th Shikarpur, 17th at Karachi East and in Malir protest will be held on 18th March.