KARACHI - Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) has said that Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Provincial Minister for Education Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq are responsible for present deterioration in the Sindh education sector. The apathetic behaviour of the provincial higher authorities towards the problems of education sector and its stakeholders have forced the teachers community to launch protest movement from January 23, 2009 against the democratic government, which have throw education away from its priorities. Addressing a Press conference on Tuesday SPLA Secretary-General Prof Liaquat Aziz said that the Sindh education minister was unconcerned towards education. Central Leader SPLA Prof Ather Hussain Mirza, President SPLA Karachi Region Prof Muzaffar Rizvi, Acting President Prof Ummat Sami and Prof Altaf Khorro were also present at the occasion. Aziz said, "There is no difference between the 'anti-education policies' of Arbab Ghulam Rahim, former Sindh CM, and the present one. In a meeting between the PPP's provincial education minister and a delegation of SPLA held on July 2, 2008, the minister had accepted all the basic demands of SPLA, but he did nothing in this regard." He (minister) had accepted several demands of the teachers' community including removal of ban from SPLA, up-gradation of college teachers, promotions, regularisation of ad-hoc lecturers, removal of force leave issue, end of victimisation of college teachers, immediate payments of arrears bills, reducing the role of DG Colleges Sindh, initiating the inquiry in Allama Iqbal Government College issue, CAP policy, college affairs and many others. Despite the important role of the teachers in making progress of any society the teachers are suffering with low salaries and low job security. There are 610 teachers working in the province on ad-hoc basis, he said, saying that these lecturers were interviewed and tested by Sindh Public Service Commission. "There is dire need to appoint around 2,000 teachers for 123 government colleges of the City where only 2,500 teachers are working", he added. "Some incompetent education officers are the remnants of previous Sindh chief minister. They are introducing class-based education system in the province by taking such decisions. He said that teachers' community had been compelled to launch a massive protest movement and they have decided to observe a Black Day on January 23 in all the colleges of the province. Muzaffar Rizvi said that the decision of handing over SMB Government Girls College to Zindagi Trust in 2007 during Musharraf regime was highly controversial but the present government has done nothing to take back such decision. Prof Ather Hussain Mirza demanded of the authorities to take legal action against the chief of Zindagi Trust. "SPLA demanded of the authorities concerned to remove ban from the teachers' associations by taking back the notification of the education department."