Teachers, parents urge govt to appoint FDE chief
Post has not seen a permanent appointment since 2016
Representational Image (PHOTO: FILE)
ISLAMABAD:
A group representing teachers working in public schools of the federal capital have demanded that the education ministry appoint a permanent head of the apex education body of the city as soon as possible.
Talking to the media on Monday, Federal Government Teachers Association (FGTA) President Malik Ameer Khan said that the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) regulates the 423 educational institutions of the federal capital.
These institutions, he said, employ more than 15,000 teaching and non-teaching staff and accommodate nearly 250,000 students. Despite the significance of the FDE in regulating these institutions, he said that the body has been without a permanent head for the past three years.
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As a result, he argued that issues such as regularisation of teachers hired on daily wages or contract basis, absorption of teachers from various provinces to serve in Islamabad, have been pending to the detriment of the staff and the students.
Malik added that the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had failed to appoint a permanent director-general of the FDE even though it had launched the Prime Minister Education Reforms Programme worth Rs4 billion to upgrade the infrastructure of schools and colleges in the city.
The last permanent head of the FDE was Dr Shahnaz Riaz who retired in 2016. Thereafter, the acting charge of the body was given to the now-defunct Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) joint secretary Ayesha Farooq by the previous PML-N government.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which came into power with a promise to reform the education sector, has failed to appoint a permanent director-general during the first full year in power. It has, instead, decided to continue with the policy of appointing a temporary head of the body, handing reigns of FDE to Syed Umair Javed.
Parents and students of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) have expressed their concerns over how the largest education department in the city does not have a permanent head with an education background. They lamented how the department is being run on an ad-hoc-basis.
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Farman Ali, the father of a student, that the implementation of education policies and development projects are facing delays owing to the unavailability of a permanent head.
Meanwhile, a senior FDE official admitted that schools and colleges in the federal capital were facing financial and administrative problems.
Commenting on the issue of appointing a permanent head of the FDE, he said that it will pave the way for resolving a host of problems faced by the directorate.
He added that the government must appoint a permanent FDE head who should be chosen from within the education department — either from the FDE or from the pool of principals as outlined in the rules. The official added that the appointee should be allowed to hold the post for at least three years to effect change.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2019.
A group representing teachers working in public schools of the federal capital have demanded that the education ministry appoint a permanent head of the apex education body of the city as soon as possible.
Talking to the media on Monday, Federal Government Teachers Association (FGTA) President Malik Ameer Khan said that the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) regulates the 423 educational institutions of the federal capital.
These institutions, he said, employ more than 15,000 teaching and non-teaching staff and accommodate nearly 250,000 students. Despite the significance of the FDE in regulating these institutions, he said that the body has been without a permanent head for the past three years.
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As a result, he argued that issues such as regularisation of teachers hired on daily wages or contract basis, absorption of teachers from various provinces to serve in Islamabad, have been pending to the detriment of the staff and the students.
Malik added that the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had failed to appoint a permanent director-general of the FDE even though it had launched the Prime Minister Education Reforms Programme worth Rs4 billion to upgrade the infrastructure of schools and colleges in the city.
The last permanent head of the FDE was Dr Shahnaz Riaz who retired in 2016. Thereafter, the acting charge of the body was given to the now-defunct Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) joint secretary Ayesha Farooq by the previous PML-N government.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which came into power with a promise to reform the education sector, has failed to appoint a permanent director-general during the first full year in power. It has, instead, decided to continue with the policy of appointing a temporary head of the body, handing reigns of FDE to Syed Umair Javed.
Parents and students of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) have expressed their concerns over how the largest education department in the city does not have a permanent head with an education background. They lamented how the department is being run on an ad-hoc-basis.
Govt may hire 700 new teachers for ICT schools
Farman Ali, the father of a student, that the implementation of education policies and development projects are facing delays owing to the unavailability of a permanent head.
Meanwhile, a senior FDE official admitted that schools and colleges in the federal capital were facing financial and administrative problems.
Commenting on the issue of appointing a permanent head of the FDE, he said that it will pave the way for resolving a host of problems faced by the directorate.
He added that the government must appoint a permanent FDE head who should be chosen from within the education department — either from the FDE or from the pool of principals as outlined in the rules. The official added that the appointee should be allowed to hold the post for at least three years to effect change.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2019.