KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah emphasized the vital role teachers play in shaping the future of students, likening them to his own parents. Speaking at a ceremony organized by the Sindh Education Department to award teaching licenses, he reiterated that respect for teachers must be earned through the delivery of quality education.
The event was attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, Minister for Livestock Mohammad Ali Malkan, and various educationists, including Shahzad Roy of Zindagi Trust. Murad Ali Shah acknowledged that only 16% of the 4,000 applicants passed the teacher licensing exam, underlining the urgent need to improve educational standards.
He explained that the teaching license initiative, proposed by Education Minister Sardar Shah three years ago, aimed to ensure competency and accountability within the teaching profession. During the ceremony, licenses were awarded to 646 candidates, including 297 Junior Elementary School Teachers (JEST) and 195 pre-service teachers.
Additionally, the provincial government expressed its commitment to improving teacher quality through the Sindh Teacher Education Development Authority (STEDA). Murad Ali Shah also raised concerns about the high number of out-of-school children and stressed the importance of enhancing both enrollment and the quality of education.
The ceremony also marked the reduction in the professional experience requirement for press accreditation cards from 10 years to 5 years, which is expected to benefit younger and mid-career journalists. Education Minister Sardar Shah emphasized the importance of making teaching a service and responsibility, not just a job, and highlighted the significant reforms underway in the education sector.
