Ministry of Education giving Niste on lease

ISLAMABAD: National Institute of Science and Technical Education (Niste) is likely to come under the control of the Society of Promotion of Engineering Sciences and Technology in Pakistan (Soprest). The Express Tribune learnt that training institute located in H-8 will be given on lease to parent body of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Enginerring Sciences and Technology (i.e. Soprest).

Niste, run by the ministry of education, primarily conducts training for serving teachers of government schools from all over Pakistan.

The courses are free of cost as ministry sponsors them and the teachers are even given travelling allowances and daily allowances for attending the classes.

However, private schools are charged for the services rendered to them.

According to the documents obtained, Soprest wrote a letter of interest to the Ministry of Education on June 14, 2010, for building a strategic partnership. The officials suggest that the possible ‘partnership’ includes taking charge of the government run Niste.

An official source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a high level meeting of Niste officials was held on June 23, under the chairmanship of Minister Sardar Aseff Ali and it was decided that Niste would be handed over to Soprest on June 30.

“After this there would be no institute in the country for the welfare and training of the teachers and a large number of employees will be unemployed,” he said.

“Niste is a welfare institute, it cannot be handed over on a lease to any private organisation,” he added.

However, Deputy Director General Niste, Sahib Raza Kharal denied that any such action was going to take place. Similarly, the officials of Soprest also denied any such move and said that they had not sent any letter to the ministry, whereas the documents shows the stamps and signatures of all the related authorities.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education, Shaigan Sharif Malik was the first to acknowledge the likelihood of such an event. “We are considering giving Niste on a lease, but it is not finalised yet,” he said.

Malik was of the view that handing it over to private sector would not only make it efficient but help in expanding its functions better.

It is also expected that after Soprest takes charge, the institute would be transformed into first technical university of the country.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2010.