Revamping institutions: Six committees formed to finalise suggestions

Lists of education officers involved in malpractices are being prepared to purge institutions of black sheep.

ISLAMABAD:

In the backdrop of the fast erosion of public trust in government institutions, the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) has formed six committees to look into issues being faced by the institutions and to find ways to restore confidence in these institutions. 

Schools and colleges in the capital have been battered by the mismanagement and negligence of those at the helm of the affairs, compelling parents to send their children to private schools and colleges.

Over 400 educational institutions within the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) have been facing financial, administrative and serious staff shortage issues for the last one-and-a-half-year, sources told The Express Tribune.



Soon after assuming charge as CADD Secretary, Faridulllah Khattak has recently taken some initiatives and as a first step to reverse the fast deteriorating standard of education in government institutions has made some administrative changes in the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

Recently, Haji Akbar Chheena was given the charge of FDE Director to run its function smoothly while utilising all available resources in the possible best way.

The sources claimed that lists of education officers, teachers and principals involved in corruption and malpractices are being prepared to purge educational institutions of black sheep.

The committees comprised education officers, teachers and principals of different institutions will come up with suggestions to revamp the overall falling standard of education, while identifying the reasons for the erosion of public confidence in government institutions.

The committees will also suggest the adoption of a unified curriculum and single medium of instruction in government schools, the sources said. The issue of promotion of teachers of federal government (FG) colleges and model colleges has also been crippling the performance of institutions for the last many years, as teachers in model colleges get early promotions while their peers the FG colleges have to wait for years for the same.



The 11 model colleges are overcrowded with students, while the 20 FG colleges have negligible strength of students, as students prefer to get admission in the former.

The sources said that the committees will also look into rules allowing transfer of teachers from FG colleges to model colleges and vice versa and induction of qualified teachers in the FG colleges.

One of the committees will scrutinise the overall performance and progress of college and school teachers, the sources said. Changes and revision of the curriculum taught at schools and colleges will also come under scrutiny by these committees, the sources said.

A senior officer at the CADD said that the committees will submit their recommendations in the next few weeks for implementation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2013.