Govt mulls plans to ‘empower’ heads of educational institutes

Relevant directors directed to present proposals within a week

ISLAMABAD: The government is mulling a proposal to grant heads of public educational institutions in the federal capital full administrative and financial powers even as several heads of educational institutes in the city face an audit for their alleged financial misappropriation.

In a bid to improve the performance of federal educational institutions in the capital, sources say that Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood has decided to grant the heads of these educational institutions complete authority over the operation of their institutions — including control over administrative and financial matters of the institutions.

However, the heads of the institutes will also be responsible for any issues and shortcomings in the institutions.

To maintain quality, a reward and punishment system will be introduced where the best performing institutes and their heads will be awarded certificates while those displaying poor results will face disciplinary action.



Sources say heads of educational institutions have continuously complained that interference from the federal government and the education ministry in their administrative matters affected their performance. Hence the government has decided to go the route of complete powers with zero interference.

The government aims to empower principals to the extent of approving the holidays and leaves of teachers apart from punishing them for poor performance.

In this regard, the education minister has sought suggestions from the directors of the budget, administration, schools, federal government colleges and model colleges, within a week.

Thereafter, heads of educational institutions will be officially granted authority.

Officials in the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) — who directly oversee government-run schools and colleges in the city — have objected to the government’s plans of giving financial control to principals and have warned that it could lead to a rise in fiscal mismanagement in educational institutions.

They pointed to the ongoing audit of heads of different educational institutions in the city for alleged corruption in student funds, bus fees, canteen funds and other financial matters.



They feared that such a decision, while granting autonomy to educational institutions, would make their heads “kings” in all matters and erode the fear of checks and balances — currently maintained by the FDE.

Earlier in the week, Mahmood had directed the FDE to devise a comprehensive plan within a week to bring the 30,000 children out-of-school in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) back into schools, including those children who can be seen begging on the roads.

Later, while addressing a seminar on vocational training, he said that the government is focusing on enrolling out-of-school children, developing a single national curriculum, while enhancing the quality of education and skill development.

He added that the education imparted to our youth should be in line with the requirements of the job market.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2018.