KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Sardar Shah on Thursday led an awareness walk in Lyari which was part of the ministry`s campaign titled `get education to move forward` to increase enrolment in the government-run schools.

Officials said the Sindh-wide campaign had been launched in Umerkot, which had moved to Lyari as the ministry`s agenda was to increase enrolment in schools run by the government to the level it had been three to four decades ago.

The walk started from Deepchand T. Ojha (DCTO) School and culminated at the Government Girls Mir Ayub High School.

Minister Shah led the walk along with secretary of education Shahid Pervez, officials of the ministry, elected representatives of Lyari and of ficials concerned.

The participants were holding placards inscribed with slogans aimed atincreasing enrolment in governmentrun schools.

Later, the education minister said he would not allow any teacher to be complacent in teaching children.

He said some 100,000 out of 134,000 teachers were qualified in subjects of fine arts who could not teach mathematics and science subjects.

`But now every new teacher we are recruiting is highly qualified who had passed tests conducted by the Institute of Business Administration.

He conceded that still there were issues inflicting the government-run schools and called upon the society at large to come forward and own those educationalinstitutions.

Mr Shah said managements of private schools could not sell textbooks and stationery and action would be taken against those against whom the ministry had received complaints.

The directorate of private schools has duly been directed to take appropriate action against such schools, said the minister.

Mr Shah said all children in Lyariwere like his own children.

He said upon demand of the opposition in Sindh Assembly, he had agreed to make every teacher appear in tests to prove their eligibility. However, at the same time, he had asked the opposition parties not to politicise the issue and take sidesofthose teachers who failed in such tests.

Replying to a question, Mr Shah said there was no truth in reports claiming that he was resigning from the cabinet.

He appealed to parents to get their children admitted in government-run schools.

`Make us accountable if we don`t meet your expectations,` said Mr Shah.

`It is our responsibility to ensure free and quality education to all children in Sindh,` he added.

He said the government was taking it as a priority to improve education for girls, particularly in the regions where terrain was tough and it was hard for parents to send girls to school easily.