School, college curriculum in Sindh to include content against drug abuse

KARACHI: Sindh has emerged to be the only province in the country where content highlighting menace of addiction and its implications have been incorporated in the primary school to the intermediate level curriculum.

Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, while briefing a delegation of Pakistan Naval College, presently on a study tour of the province, said that drug abuse, in context of contraband and hard drugs, has emerged to be a serious challenge across the country.  This needed to be efficiently handled or otherwise it can be a serious threat to the country’s future, he added.

About academic content incorporated right from school to college levels, the chief secretary said that the major focus is on sensitising children and youth in particular and raising public awareness in general to eradicate the threat.

On the occasion, the Sindh chief secretary also referred to development schemes in the province mentioning that education is being accorded top priority.

“There are 55,000 primary schools, 45,000 secondary schools besides hundreds of colleges and numerous universities functional in the public sector in the province,” he said.

Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah said that the Sindh Environmental Protection Society (SEPA) is also delivering its expected responsibilities in the line of the government approach to prevent environmental degradation. As for Karachi, he said, special efforts are being made to beautify the capital of the province with equal attention towards its greenery and sanitary conditions.

Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) was said to be particularly assigned the job of safe disposal of the waste generated with the active involvement of all concerned agencies in the metropolis to help provide citizens healthy and clean environment.  Work was said to be underway to generate energy from bio-degradable waste.

Inspector General of Police Syed Kalim Imam, Home Secretary Abdul Kabir Qazi and Planning Secretary Dr Shirin Mustafa also briefed the delegation about their respective departments.