SUKKUR: Sindh Secretary of Education Abdul Aziz Ugaili has admitted that 2,000 schools still remain closed despite imposition of emergency in education department.

The secretary said at a press conference at the deputy commissioner`s office here on Wednesday that the chief minister had orderedan inquiry into closure of 5,000 schools in the province after the Panama case termed `beginning of end` to corruption imposition of education emergency, which revealed that a total of 4,200 schools were closed.

The department reopened 2,200 schools but could not open the remaining 2,000 due to shortage of teachers, he said.

He said that there was shortage of 2,000 teachers,schools faced lack of facilities and skilled teachers due to which people preferred to get their children admitted to private educational institutions.

He said that in a bid to help improve standard of education, two schools in each union council would be turned into model schools after which the remaining schools would also be improved.

Mr Ugaili said that a largenumber of children were still out of school and announced giving away award to three teachers who helped increase enrolment and punctuality in schools.

He said that `copy culture` in Sindh had become a cancer which would take time to cure.

There was shortage of officials in administrative posts in the schools due to which every teacher of grade-17 had been vested with pow-ers of drawing and disbursing, he said, adding the shortage would soon be overcome.

He said that it was compulsory for private educational institutions to teach Sindhi whether the schools were Sindhi or Urdu medium.

Action would be taken against the administrations of private schools where Sindhi was not being taught to students, he warned.He said that earlier, the private schools were not functioning under the control of Sindh government but now separate officials had been posted to monitor the private schools and their performance.

Earlier, the secretary said while presiding over a meeting of officials of Sukkur and Larkana divisions at the DC office that efforts should be made to ensure maximum enrolment in schools.