New English teachers being appointed for rural schools

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Education is all set to appoint more than 50 English teachers in the secondary schools of the federal capital, The Express Tribune learnt.

According to senior officials, the teachers will be appointed in both male and female schools.

The new appointment will be made in at least 25 different high schools located in far flung areas of Islamabad.

The decision was taken in a meeting held two days back in the office of Ministry of Education. Secretary Education Imtiaz Qazi presided over the meeting, which discussed the issues of government educational institutions located in rural areas of federal capital.

Fresh appointments will consist of both male and female teachers, with appointments on purely contractual basis and a fixed salary of Rs 15,000 per month.

The total some 14 male teachers will be appointed in secondary boys’ schools of Jaba Tall, Jaglot, Kirpa, Khanna Dak, Mohra Nagial, Malra Akku and Federal Govt. Boys Secondary School Naugazi.

The remaining teachers will be appointed in female educational institutions at Lakhwal, Noorpur Shahan, Phulgran, Rawal Town, University Colony, Jagiot, Kirpa, Phiont, Dhoke Gangal, Lohi Bheer, Nara Syedan, Gagri and Federal Govt. Girls Secondary School, PE Colony G-5.

The expenditure involved in debit able to be met within the sanctioned budget grant for the new fiscal year 2010-11 said a senior official of Education Ministry Adeel Khan.

He confirmed to The Express Tribune that the appointment of English teachers in various federal capital educational institutions is on the cards.

The sanction has been accorded within the concurrence of the Ministry of Education and copy of this sanction is being endorsed to Finance Division of Pakistan, he explained.

He went on to say that another meeting of senior officials of Education Ministry with the head of institutions concerned will be held soon to discuss other languages’ issues of the students seeking knowledge in rural areas of capital.

Ferhad Ali Shah, Director Schools (Male) told The Express Tribune that the appointment of teachers in government schools has become a pressing need of the day as the private institutions left the federation schools far behind in the era of rapid technology.

“It is a good omen for education that the Ministry concerned is taking positive steps to overcome the shortage of English teachers in the capital despite having limited funds allocated in current fiscal year budget,” he said.

When contacted Director Schools (Female) Farzana Ashraf Gondal said the current government is seriously thinking about the up gradation of the schools which lag behind not only in English language teachers but also the teachers in other fields of technology.

Comparing the use of English language in government educational institutions with private schools, she said, “A paradigm shift is needed to learn and use English in our educational institutions even though we also need to develop and adopt our own national language in all walks of life.”

Earlier, former President Pervez Musharraf had directed the Ministry of Education to create 21 contractual posts on a fixed pay for the year 2007-08.

The then assistant Educational Advisor to the Ministry of Education Miss Yasmin Haq finalised the order of the president and appointed 21 English teachers in the schools on contractual basis. These teachers are still waiting for their permanent job as well as seeking promotion.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2010.