Education body headless in capital
Federal Directorate of Education without acting director general for two months
According to the Federal Directorate of Education, 161,400 students are enrolled in federal government schools and colleges, while 42,000 are studying in model colleges in the capital. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The appointment of director general for Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has become a headache for the government.
The education body is headless for the past two months, an official of the FDE said. The website of the directorate is also showing the post as vacant.
According sources in the directorate, the institution is being run in the absence of a permanent DG for the past two years although the government has appointed acting DGs from time to time.
“In the past two months, the federal education ministry has also failed to appoint any official even with a temporary charge,” said an official of FDE.
Acting Federal Directorate of Education Director General Hasnat Qureshi was transferred to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission as director (finance) at the start of September.
The department responsible for appointing Qureshi’s replacement, Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), was dissolved on September 20. FDE was functioning under CADD, after the latter’s dissolution the directorate went under the federal ministry of education.
However, the ministry has yet to appoint a DG for FDE. In absence of the key official, all functions under the radar of director general have come to a standstill. The DG office is loaded with files pertaining to issues of the teaching and the non-teaching staffs.
According to officials, the federal directorate of education which oversees administrative control of 423 educational institutions has been missing a permanent head for the past two years while all affairs of the DG office are being run on ad-hoc basis.
Various matters pertaining to approval of leaves by teachers and non-teaching staff as well as various NOCs remain unattended.
According to rules, sources said, the post for director general can be filled by promoting any principal of a degree college or any serving director of the directorate. However, due to legal battles ensuing between the top officials, the decision has become difficult. A principal has reportedly approached the court for the matter. However, the education ministry is not showing any interest to expedite appointment for the top post. A questionnaire sent to the education ministry demanding an explanation remains unanswered. Efforts to contact Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood also turned out to be unfruitful.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2018.
The appointment of director general for Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has become a headache for the government.
The education body is headless for the past two months, an official of the FDE said. The website of the directorate is also showing the post as vacant.
According sources in the directorate, the institution is being run in the absence of a permanent DG for the past two years although the government has appointed acting DGs from time to time.
“In the past two months, the federal education ministry has also failed to appoint any official even with a temporary charge,” said an official of FDE.
Acting Federal Directorate of Education Director General Hasnat Qureshi was transferred to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission as director (finance) at the start of September.
The department responsible for appointing Qureshi’s replacement, Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), was dissolved on September 20. FDE was functioning under CADD, after the latter’s dissolution the directorate went under the federal ministry of education.
However, the ministry has yet to appoint a DG for FDE. In absence of the key official, all functions under the radar of director general have come to a standstill. The DG office is loaded with files pertaining to issues of the teaching and the non-teaching staffs.
According to officials, the federal directorate of education which oversees administrative control of 423 educational institutions has been missing a permanent head for the past two years while all affairs of the DG office are being run on ad-hoc basis.
Various matters pertaining to approval of leaves by teachers and non-teaching staff as well as various NOCs remain unattended.
According to rules, sources said, the post for director general can be filled by promoting any principal of a degree college or any serving director of the directorate. However, due to legal battles ensuing between the top officials, the decision has become difficult. A principal has reportedly approached the court for the matter. However, the education ministry is not showing any interest to expedite appointment for the top post. A questionnaire sent to the education ministry demanding an explanation remains unanswered. Efforts to contact Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood also turned out to be unfruitful.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2018.