Sindh’s ECT Candidates Still Waiting After Two Years

Two years have passed, and thousands of qualified female candidates who applied for the posts of Early Childhood Teachers (ECT) in Sindh are still waiting for their offer orders.

The recruitment process for ECTs was conducted through IBA Sukkur with full transparency. The test was held, results were announced, and merit lists were displayed. We appreciated the Sindh Government and the School Education and Literacy Department for initiating this much-needed step to strengthen early childhood education in the province.

But after that, the process seems to have been forgotten.

It has been almost two years. Only a few districts have started the scrutiny process, while the majority of districts are still silent. There is no authentic information, no official timeline, and no clear procedure communicated to the candidates. Every time we visit the District Education Office (DEO), we are given a new date and told to wait.

This delay is not just wasting our time; it is wasting our careers. Most of the ECT candidates are educated girls from middle-class families of interior Sindh who saw this job as their only chance for financial independence. Many have crossed the age limit for other jobs while waiting for this one.

The irony is that on one hand, the Sindh Government talks about improving early childhood education and increasing enrolment in government schools, and on the other hand, the very teachers recruited for that purpose are sitting idle at home without offer orders.

We do not know what the exact procedure is. What documents are required? When will scrutiny be completed? When will offer orders be issued? No one answers these questions. The lack of communication has created anxiety and frustration among thousands of families.

We humbly urge the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, the Minister for Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah, and the Secretary of School Education to look into this matter personally.

We request you to:

1. Issue clear and uniform instructions to all DEOs (Primary) in Sindh regarding the ECT scrutiny process.
2. Fix a final deadline for all districts and ensure offer orders are issued on a priority basis.
3. Create an official portal or helpline for authentic updates so candidates are not misled by rumours.

Early Childhood Education is the foundation of a child’s future. Sindh needs these teachers in its schools today, not after another year.

We hope our voice will be heard.