Govt proposes raising VCs' age limit to 75 years

Decade-long experience proposed as eligibility to head medical varsities

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has proposed raising the maximum age limit for vice chancellors of seven public-sector medical universities from 65 to 75 years, while also moving to simplify the registration process for seminaries by exempting federally registered madrassas from fresh provincial requirements.

The proposed legislative amendments were part of an education agenda discussed in the Punjab Assembly, where treasury and opposition lawmakers expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of educational institutions, absence of universities in several districts, and the rising cost of education.

The proceedings began with the question hour related to the Higher Education Department. Several questions were disposed of or deferred due to the absence of lawmakers, while Deputy Speaker Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar directed Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat to remain present throughout the proceedings.

The session also saw lighter moments when the education minister initially struggled to locate questions on his digital tablet before eventually responding to queries raised by opposition lawmaker Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan.

During the debate, Rana Aftab questioned the government's education policies, particularly financial assistance under self-support schemes and the growing trend of private tuition academies, asking why more students and teachers were shifting toward them.

Opposition member Sardar Muhammad Ali criticised the government's education performance, arguing that despite high expenditures, reforms were not producing notable results.

He said students were spending only around 125 days a year in schools and said the impact of government initiatives was not evident on the ground.

Responding to the criticism, Education Minister Rana Sikandar defended the government's performance, stating that two universities were being established in the member's district. He also highlighted the Nawaz Sharif School of Excellence initiative, claiming students were increasingly opting for these institutions over private schools.