Musical chairs at the education dept

From the DG to joint secretaries, all offices saw regular change in heads.

ISLAMABAD: Taking a look back at last year, nothing seems to have changed with the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) owing to internal rifts between various bodies and teachers, with students and parents becoming victims of bureaucracy. This led the education sector in the federal capital to its lowest ebb.

FDE was bogged down by a multitude of crises, much like the previous years. The department saw the appointment of several DGs who were relieved after short intervals, some for barely a few weeks. These stopgap arrangements took a toll on students and the overall education activities in the capital.



Despite the CADD being the controlling authority, it failed to appoint a DG with permanent status till November 25 when a DMG officer was appointed the new chief.

Persisting issues ranging from the regularisation of daily-wagers and contractual employees, to absorption of deputationists, promotions of teachers and tackling shortage of staff kept piling for the FDE administration.

Besides, several directors were reshuffled and the director schools and colleges and deputy directors were transferred and reposted with no apparent reason.

The regular change in office of the managers consequently led to the crisis at education institutes, which would often be seen struggling for minor approvals for renovations or appointments of lower cadre staff with new bosses coming in with new rules only to make matters worse.

New CADD minister

The CADD welcomed the appointment of a new minister of state, Barrister Usman Ibrahim, however, his presence did not bring any change at the division which has become a ministry following the 18th Amendment.

Secretaries too kept changing at the CADD. Former secretary Faridullah Khan and Additional Secretary Qaiser Majeed were at loggerheads over a few issues that led to the ouster of the former.

Joint Secretary Hafiz Sher Ali was appointed by the National Institute of Technical Education but was soon transferred after complaints of alleged misuse of power.

The issue of abolishment of evening shifts in the capital’s colleges is still hanging in the balance. Ibrahim kept issuing press releases regarding the issue but ended up limiting the orders to only two institutes.

Similarly, announcements and statements were made about regularisation of daily wage teachers and non-teaching staff but no sincere effort was made to resolve this pressing issue. Cheques were distributed among teaching and non-teaching staff at a ceremony with full media coverage to ‘claim’ progress however, no permanent solution has been brought up during the year.

Teachers of the model and federal government colleges were seen toiling to get their salaries while the CADD was dragging its feet to implement court orders to scurtinise all daily wagers and regularise them on merit.

Schools and colleges also had to face the brunt of the PTI and PAT sit-in as they were made to play host to security officials forcing education activities to remain suspended during the time. Regularisation of private institutions was another herculean task for the CADD which has yet to get the amended law approved from the parliamentary body to streamline affairs of the private education sector in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2014.