HYDERABAD, May 31: Sindh Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq has said that strict action will be taken against the officers who fail to fulfil the task by the end of 15-day deadline for making closed schools fully functional.

The minister said at an awards distribution ceremony at a private school in Qasimabad late on Friday night that computer education would be made compulsory for all private educational institutions and no one would be issued licence for any private school without meeting this condition.

He gave credit late Benazir Bhutto for the establishment of computer literacy centres and introduction of fibre optics in Pakistan and said that she was very keen to spread computer literacy by establishing computer literacy centres in each district of the province.

He directed the private educational institutions to introduce computer literacy in their institutions and asked the authorities concerned to introduce the subject in government schools as well.

The minister said that computer literacy was the need of hour, which would enable the country to meet the challenges of present age. It was essential to utilise human as well as natural resources in an efficient manner, he added.

He said that empowerment of women, a cornerstone of Pakistan People’s Party policy, would not only help reduce gender discrimination but also put multiply human resources for development.

The minister said that the government on the one hand was doing its best to ensure qualitative education in government schools and on the other it was encouraging private sector to provide quality education under a participatory approach.He said that several global organisations were being provided financial assistance to promote education through private educational institutions. The private institutions must revise their fee structure to make education accessible to common man, he said.

The minister told journalist after the conclusion of the programme that old academic year had been restored and Sindh Text Book Board had been directed to provide school books within time or face strict action.

He said that his ministry was considering upgrading middle schools to meet the requirements of SSC and HSC education. It was a matter of grave concern that out of 15,000 closed schools throughout the country almost half were in Sindh, he said.

He said that the education department was looking into the causes that led this anomaly and they included deterioration of law and order, shortage of teachers, interference of waderas, establishment of unnecessary schools and ghost employees.

He said that he did not believe in the reports put forward by bureaucrats and had first given them a month to make all schools functional and then extended the deadline for further 15 days.

To a question, he said that there was no misunderstanding between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-N over constitutional package. The modalities were being discussed to achieve common objectives, he said.

He said that the PPP would present the constitutional package in the National Assembly. The fate of Kalabagh had been decided and announced by the federal minister and its chapter had been closed, he said in respo9nse to another query.

Earlier, the minister distributed awards among position holders and staff members of the school for best performance.