The end is nigh: Sleeping on issues till they are no more

NA body on education fails to address important issues before the impending devolution of the ministry.

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Education is sleeping on heaps of issues for the last many months. With the impending devolution of the ministry, officials suggest that the parliamentary body should be dissolved rather than solving issues.

The most important of these issues was the alleged irregularities commited in appointments of teachers a few months back.

Despite the passage of over three months, a sub-committee of the parliamentary body investigating the issue had failed to submit its report. “The delay buys time for the officials who have committed irregularities, as the committee will automatically be dissolved after the devolution,” said an official requesting not to be named. The sub-committee was constituted with Dr Nadeem Ehsan its convenor four month ago to look into irregularities allegedly committed by the FDE in recruitment of teachers.

The NA Standing Committee on Education met on Monday and expressed its concern over the delay in investigating the issue. Chairman Abid Sher Ali decided that the main committee would now look into the matter.

Moreover, the committee sought a detailed report from the administration of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) over a housing scheme launched for the employees of the board.

The panel passed the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) Bill, 2010, seeking an autonomous status for the Academy.

Meanwhile, the committee also discussed a bill seeking ban on corporal punishment in schools. It was noted that the law was not applicable to religious seminaries as they were not under the control of education ministry. The committee was informed that madressas were being regulated by the interior ministry.

The mover of the bill, Dr Attiya Inayatullah, informed the committee that it would only deal with other educational institutions.

During the discussion of Compulsory School Attendance Bill, 2008, the NA body was informed by the law ministry that this bill was already applicable across the country.

The committee directed the deputy law draftsman to give written answers in this regard in two days.

While the report of a sub-committee, regarding Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Private Educational Institutions (Regulation and Promotion) Ordinance, 2007 could not be discussed as both the members concerned (movers of the bill) did not attend the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Dr Attiya Inayatullah, MNA Shamshad Sattar Bachani, MNA Maimoona Hashmi, Tasneem Siddiqui, officials of education ministry and PAL director general.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2011.