Capital’s sole college for professional education in disarray

The frequent shuffling at the administration level and makeshift arrangements at the Federal College of Education (FCE) has thrown the sole professional college of the capital into complete disarray and disorganisation, taking a toll on its overall performance and education.

On a stopgap arrangement, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has given the temporary charge of the FCE to Professor Muhammad Ihsan-ul Haq, who already discharge his duty as the principal at Islamabad Model College for Boys F-10/3.

Earlier, Saba Faisal, who was also a principal at Islamabad Model College for Girls F-10/2, took temporary charge of the FCE on March 3, before the FDE removed her on May 5.

After the removal of Dr Samia Rehman Dogar from FCE, a series of transitional appointments were made but it has failed to bring stability to the college, causing a detrimental impact on the college's overall functioning.

Dr Samia Dogar, who was a director at the FCE, was placed at Islamabad Model College for Girls G-10/4 on an attachment basis.

A faculty member of FCE on the condition of anonymity said that “the FCE is now facing disruptions in its training programmes while college's telephone and internet connections have been severed due to non-payment of bills, leaving staff and students without crucial communication options.

He said that “ever since the administrative control of FCE has been handed over to the FDE, its performance has badly suffered because FDE lacks the capacity and commitment to handle higher education institutions.”

“The FDE hands over the charge of FCE to those who already work as principals in model colleges and they do not know how to run a professional college,” he said stressing that there should be an independent head of the FCE.

He further said that the college had been suffering ever since the federal education ministry transferred Dr Samia Dogar and placed the administrative control of the institution under FDE.

“This abrupt move, made on an experimental basis, has proven detrimental to the college functioning,” he said adding that the lack of a clear policy from the FDE regarding the FCE has only exacerbated the situation but also created uncertainty among the faculty and staff.