KARACHI: Education Minister`s Secondary Education Bill seeking to appoint a Secondary Education Board to `control, regulate, organise and develop` secondary education in Karachi, was held up in its second reading in the Parliament on Tuesday [Jan 10].

All sections of the House showed a keen interest in the legislation. There was a full dress debate during the second reading and the members had tabled as many as 92 amendments to the Bill... .

Education Minister Fazlur Rahman made an inspired speech in defence of State control over education, which was vehemently opposed by the Opposition. Education was the responsibility of the state and the state should not divest itself of this responsibility, he argued.

He charged the Opposition of having failed to recognise the change in the relationship between the people and the Government while criticising State control over education. Pakistan was no more under an alien rule, he pointed out. The speeches made by the Opposition he said were antedated. ... Staff correspondent