Moalims

Monday, August 03, 2015 - OPENING of schools in Karachi has become an issue for no rhyme or reason. Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, education secretary Fazlullah Pechuo, the director of schools management, Mansoob Siddiqi and the Karachi commissioner, have made a monumental mess of a non—issue.
They blew an ordinary issue out of proportions to make it look like a monster. Schools in Karachi, after summer vacations, were to open on August 3 .Secretary education, thinking himself bigger than his size, extended the date to August 11, without realizing that the port city was out of the flood compass.
When the private schools management association contested his viewpoint, and media criticism seemed directed at him for wasting precious time for kids, he quickly withdrew in his shelf.
But to the horror of many a senior educationists, chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, reversed his decision to order similarity for the entire province. This was totally illogical, and senseless.
The province in the south has a history of facing illogical orders of closing down schools on irrelevant issues like death or birth anniversaries of saints and “peers”.
Administration in Sindh tends to forget that education could never fall prey to whims. What do schools have to do with the “urs” of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Karachi, Devotees or political leadership can spend as much time as possible during these anniversaries. Educational institutions have nothing to do with such occasions.
Threats or counter threats from director schools, Sindh, Mansoob Siddiqi, from Karachi commissioner, Shoaib Siddiqi, and private schools management association, has made the administration in Karachi and Sindh a laughing stock.
Parents are in a state of shock and absolute limbo as to whether they should send their children to schools on Monday(today) or face punishment of cancellation of schools licenses. That would mean risking the future of wards.
Statements from Mansoob Siddiqi and Shoaib Siddiqi showed their mindset, perverted in nature, and devoid of logic. My personal experience with director schools management has convinced me about his being arrogant.
The commission instead of concentrating on solving city problems, like water supply, sanitation, etc, is more interested in presiding meetings, and issuing orders. Apart from that he is very keen on tape cuttings and distributing awards as chief guest.
This is hardly the job for head of city administration sitting over multitude of problems which if attended to properly, can hardly allow him time for flimsy things. But that is unfortunately Karachi where the top political leadership is hostage to whims of party hierarchy, and the administration is more interested in issuing threats, rather than solving the problem through negotiations.
Those opening their schools on August 3, should be allowed to do that. The issue of rains tantamounts to making a mountain of mole hill.

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