Misplaced priorities: Education projects awaiting official nod

Planning Commission yet to approve over 15 schemes completed over a year ago

ISLAMABAD: The prime minister may be serious about improving education standard at least at the federal level, it seems the baboos are not serious in translating his vision into reality.

A rhetorical dilemma is visible on the ground as more than 15 completed education projects in Islamabad have been waiting for formal approval from the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform for the last over a year.

Interestingly, these completed projects, including schools and colleges, have not been included in the go-ahead list by the Planning Commission in the current Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), causing delay in allocation of funds from the finance ministry and hiring of permanent staff.

Official sources in the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) said that the ministry forwarded the project completion reports to the Planning Commission in December last year, and again in February to inspect those projects, for issuance of no-objection certificates, before they were forwarded to the finance ministry for allocation of funds and hiring, but the reply was still awaited.

The sources said that the ministry was running some of the completed institutes through stopgap arrangements.

Some of the completed projects include FG Degree College for Women I-14 and FG Degree College for Men at Sihala; the expansion of an education facility at the FG Fatima Jinnah Degree College, Humak; construction of an admin block, nine classrooms, four science labs, toilets and a staircase at the Islamabad Model College for Girls F-10/2; establishment of the FG Junior Model Schools in Soan Garden;  strengthening of the FG Girls Primary School, Miana; strengthening of the FG Boys Higher Secondary School, Mughal; and the reconstruction of a dilapidated block at the FG Girls Secondary School, Malpur.

Other projects include the opening of new secondary model schools in sectors G-11/1 and G-11/2; the construction of additional academic blocks and renovation of old building at the FG Girls Secondary School,  Dhok Gangal; the  upgradation and introduction of intermediate classes at the Islamabad Model College for Boys, F-10/3 and the upgradation and introduction of BCom four-year classes at the Islamabad College of Commerce for Girls, F-10/3.

Officials at the Federal Directorate of Education said the schools had somehow started getting funds from the ministry but the colleges were being run on student funds as no formal budget had been allocated to them.

According to the officials, the teaching and non-teaching staffers for these institutions have been hired from other institutes on a temporary basis.

The Sihala Degree College and the I-8/3 Girls College were among the worst sufferers, the officials say, as both the institutions have been functioning without proper budget and teaching and non-teaching staff since 2009.

The Humak Girls College and the I-14 Girls College have also been facing dearth of budget and staff, the officials said.

“The matter can only be sent to the finance division for allocation of funds and sanction of posts after the Planning Commission approves them. The officials have been causing unnecessary delay and education has become victim to red-tapism,” said an FDE official wishing not to be named.

Federal Government College Teachers’ Association representatives have approached Planning Commission for early approval of projects but to no avail.

They argue that investment on education was important because a country needs engineers, architects and accountants to make such projects a success.

In a response, the Planning Commission said that their mandate was to monitor only those projects which were listed in the PSDP.

According to the explanation, these projects were not included in the PSDP list of 2016-2017.

These projects may be approved at the Development Working Party-level, if their cost expenditure was less than Rs60 million, it said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2016.