VCs meeting: ‘National commission for curriculum’ on the cards

Commission to have rotating head from provinces and the federal government, says minister.

ISLAMABAD:

The federation has proposed the constitution of a “national commission for curriculum” in the country to bring uniformity in school and college syllabi.

State Minister for Interior, Education, Training and Standard in Higher Education, Engineer Baleeghur Rehman said this here on Thursday while addressing a meeting of vice chancellors from over 50 universities.

He said that the commission would be run by the provinces and the federal government on rotation.

The educators discussed various issues ranging from finances to academics and the creation of regional campuses.



The minister assured the participants that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) would remain an independent entity and its funding would not be hampered. He said that suggestions from them for improvement of the education system would be welcome.

Acting HEC Chairman Imtiaz Hussain Gilani talked about the role of the HEC and constitution of provincial higher education commissions. He said that provincial commissions could only be established after the HEC Act was amended.

He said there was currently a tussle between governors and chief ministers over the handling and possession of universities.

HEC Executive Director Mukhtar Ahmad said that any university wanting to establish a regional campus should ensure the campus meets the minimum criteria set by the regulatory body.

“A campus should at least have a proper faculty, labs and physical structure,” he said, arguing that they could not allow people to open campuses in plazas and small buildings.

Khyber Medical University VC Muhammad Hafeezullah said that the 18th Amendment was not gospel truth which could not be revisited, as according to him, it has seriously damaged the education and health sectors. “A drug regulatory authority was established a few years back, but it has not registered a single medicine in the province,” he said.

Government College University Faisalabad VC Dr Zakir Hussain said that they were recently asked by the Punjab chief minister to open three new campuses without providing financial aid. Dr Nizamuddin of the University of Gujrat said that private institutions should also be checked as some of them lacked the minimum requirements to be called a university.

The HEC executive director also talked about how universities were mishandling financial matters. “It has been noted that people who are not familiar with finance have been appointed as treasurers,” he said.

He urged the VCs to avoid excessive use of leave encashment facility, advance increment and house requisition. “This inflates the HEC budget and puts the government in trouble as well,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2013.