The Sindh High Court has been informed by the provincial education department that over 500,000 desks are required to accommodate 1.28 million students enrolled in government schools across the province. This information was presented during a recent hearing regarding the procurement of furniture for these schools. The High Court, in a subsequent order issued on Friday, expressed concern over the reported deficiencies in the education sector.
The court emphasized the lack of facilities for students and criticized the government for not providing desks and teachers according to the student ratio policy. Despite significant allocations to the education sector budget, there is a notable absence of proper school buildings, laboratories, digital education tools, and transportation.
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The High Court learned that, except for students enrolled in public-private partnerships overseen by the Sindh Education Foundation, four million students attend government schools. Of these, 1.28 million students currently do not have desks in their classrooms, indicating a major infrastructure shortfall.
The education secretary informed the court that efforts were underway to procure desks, considering the available space in schools. The High Court, acknowledging the urgency, directed the education department to acquire desks within six months while ensuring compliance with legal requirements and specifications. The finance department was instructed to release the budget promptly to expedite the process.
Further instructions were given for the chief secretary to inform the caretaker Chief Minister about the situation. The secretary was also tasked with forming a committee to examine and validate the quality of desks supplied in each district, including those provided by private contractors. A private contractor was granted six months to replace desks according to the tender specifications.
