Three-day meeting: Working group prepares draft for education reforms
Suggestions will be sent to the planning dept before the month ends.
Officials said the reforms include an annual performance chart of vice chancellors (VCs) of all public universities. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
An 11-member working group has started preparing its draft on reforms in the education sector.
The group held its first meeting in this regard on Monday and will take three days to prepare the draft.
The meeting which was held at three different locations at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar was earlier planned for Islamabad. However, keeping in view the expenditure involved, UET offered both the venue and technical support.
Officials said the reforms include an annual performance chart of vice chancellors (VCs) of all public universities. The VCs can only avail service extension based on the evaluation of university students.
In addition, a Quality Evaluation Cell (QEC) will be established to assess the academic performance of each department. This too, will be based on students’ feedback.
“Some VCs were not happy with the annual performance system and QEC programme but the government made it clear no appointments or extensions would be done without the evaluation reports,” said an official, requesting anonymity.
The official added suggestions will be sent to the planning department before August 31 and presented to Chief Minister Pervez Khattak next month.
The working group will also be responsible to suggest positive improvements in governance, research, the role of academicians in policy formulation, academic freedom, institutional freedom, accountability, faculty development and training.
Its group members include Higher Education Special Assistant Mushtaq Ghani, MPAs Muzaffar Said and Meraj Humayun, HED Director Noor Ullah Wazir, HED Secretary Farah Hamid Khan, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute Rector Jehangir Bashar, UET VC Imtiaz Hussain Gillani, University of Haripur VC Dr Naseer Ali Khan, City University President Sabur Sethi, ICMS Education System Chairman Malik Tajummal Hayat, Advisor to Speaker on Planning and Development Abbas Khan, Professors Qasim Marwat and Shakeel Mufti.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2013.
An 11-member working group has started preparing its draft on reforms in the education sector.
The group held its first meeting in this regard on Monday and will take three days to prepare the draft.
The meeting which was held at three different locations at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar was earlier planned for Islamabad. However, keeping in view the expenditure involved, UET offered both the venue and technical support.
Officials said the reforms include an annual performance chart of vice chancellors (VCs) of all public universities. The VCs can only avail service extension based on the evaluation of university students.
In addition, a Quality Evaluation Cell (QEC) will be established to assess the academic performance of each department. This too, will be based on students’ feedback.
“Some VCs were not happy with the annual performance system and QEC programme but the government made it clear no appointments or extensions would be done without the evaluation reports,” said an official, requesting anonymity.
The official added suggestions will be sent to the planning department before August 31 and presented to Chief Minister Pervez Khattak next month.
The working group will also be responsible to suggest positive improvements in governance, research, the role of academicians in policy formulation, academic freedom, institutional freedom, accountability, faculty development and training.
Its group members include Higher Education Special Assistant Mushtaq Ghani, MPAs Muzaffar Said and Meraj Humayun, HED Director Noor Ullah Wazir, HED Secretary Farah Hamid Khan, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute Rector Jehangir Bashar, UET VC Imtiaz Hussain Gillani, University of Haripur VC Dr Naseer Ali Khan, City University President Sabur Sethi, ICMS Education System Chairman Malik Tajummal Hayat, Advisor to Speaker on Planning and Development Abbas Khan, Professors Qasim Marwat and Shakeel Mufti.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2013.