Education emergency: CADD taking its time while colleges feel the heat

I-8/2 girls model college without teaching staff, necessary funds.

ISLAMABAD:

The renaming of federal government colleges to “model” colleges has done little to improve their fate as their issues keep piling up with no resolution in sight.

The Islamabad Model College for Girls I-8/2 is just one of the victims of the capital’s bureaucracy which has not only affected coursework but is also causing frustration among teachers.

Educational institutes in the capital report to the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and are administered by the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD).  But nothing seems to be going the college’s way as they have been waiting for staff and development funds.”For the last five years, not a single penny has been released and 15 of our teachers are on temporary duty,” said one of the teachers at the college. She added that they have science laboratories and other facilities but no staff was available to teach students, forcing them to hire internees for several subjects.

According to another teacher, many rooms are leaking while the main hall is yet to be constructed. “I don’t know what is going to be the fate of this college as teachers are on the verge of leaving their jobs,” she added.

For the last few years, the vice principal’s slot is lying vacant which has made dealing with issues all the more difficult with each passing day. Principal Farkhanda Ishtiaq said 10 interns at the college would be completing their term in December. She said currently English, Urdu, Mathematics, History and Psychology teachers are needed and added that the FDE, had in principle agreed to hire them but never did.

“Another serious issue we are facing is that there is no permanent staff at the college and the guards and office staff are paid from the college fund,” she said, adding that some of them refused to stay on as their salaries were delayed due to lack of funds which are collected from students’ fines and other heads.

CADD Joint Secretary Education Rafique Tahir, while commenting on the issue, said it was cause for concern and CADD was looking into these matters. “We are now involving principals and officials from FDE and CADD to point out where the problem lies and how to address it without further delay.”

A senior CADD official said some colleges were sending fake applications to usurp funds which is why they would now start visiting the institutions and allocate funding on the spot.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2013.