Punjab

PEIRA gets new chairperson

Newly inducted chief says she wants to improve quality of education

Our Correspondent March 31, 2023

CADD, PEIRA fail to provide relief to students’ parents .. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD AZEEM/EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD:

Education policy expert Dr Sayeda Zia Batool has been appointed as the chairperson of the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) for a second term.

With over 20 years of professional experience, Dr Batool previously served in the same position from October 2019 to October 2022.

According to a statement, she has an experience in policy-making and reforms in cross-cutting areas of socioeconomic development with a special focus on education.

The PEIRA chief holds a PhD in Education and has received professional training from the UK and Australia in education quality, standards, and accreditation, along with education policy reforms, the communique stated.

During her first term as Chairperson of PEIRA, Dr Batool led several initiatives to improve the quality of education in the private sector, including the development and execution of quality assurance criteria, institutional reviews, accreditation systems, performance evaluation standards, and policy reforms at both national and international levels.

She is also credited with developing the first Quality Assurance Agency in Pakistan while working for the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and has contributed to the development of the Pakistan Qualification Framework and Register.

Dr Batool has represented Pakistan on various international forums as an international expert and resource person, focusing on improving the standards of higher education.

In her second term as Chairperson of PEIRA, Dr Batool is expected to continue her efforts to improve the quality of education in the private sector, working closely with stakeholders to ensure that students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for success in the global economy.

"I am honored to be reappointed as the Chairperson of PEIRA and look forward to continuing my work to improve the quality of education in the private sector," she said. I believe that every student deserves a high-quality education that prepares them for success in the global economy, and I am committed to ensuring that this vision becomes a reality in Pakistan, she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2023.