Presidential awards for academic distinction

Minister for Education Lieutenant General Javed Ashraf Qazi (Retd) distributed 75 'Presidential Awards for Academic Distinction' at an investiture ceremony held here on Thursday. The awards Izaz-i-Kamal, Izaz-i-Fazeelat and Izaz-i-Sabqat are the recognition of teachers and students for giving good account of themselves in different educational fields.
Professor Dr Farid A Khawaja Ex-Director General of National Institute of Science and Technical Education and Dr Shaheen N Khan Associate Professor National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology University of Punjab were crowned with 'Izaz-i-Kamal' for rendering meritorious services in their respective disciplines.
Izaz-i-Fazeelat was conferred on Shahnaz Masood Principle (Peshawar), Professor Dr Syed Hamidullah (Peshawar), Abdul Hameed Associate Professor (Islamabad), Muhammad Javed (Faisalabad), Syed Muhammad Sharif Haider Programme Officer (Quetta), Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Saleem Professor Agriculture (Multan), Tahira Ghouri Assistant Professor (Islamabad), Tayyaba Siddiqui Principal (Islamabad), Dr Muhammad Tufail Scientific Officer (Islamabad), Dr M Iqbal Bhanger Professor (Jamshoro), Dr Muhammad Tahir Associate Professor (Islamabad), Professor Ali Bakhsh Dashti (Balochistan), Jamsheed Ahmed Associate Professor (Quetta), and Sadia Tasneem Principal (Islamabad).
While up to 60 Izaz-i-Sabqat were given to students clinching top positions in different educational institutions of the country.
The minister lauded the remarkable achievements of the awardees who made their named through hard work and dedication. He announced monetary awards for teachers and students would be increased in future. Qazi stressed for research-oriented education in the country, a must to catch with the developed world.
"We are lagging far behind in education. We need to have dispassionate review of our education." The minister assured of increase in the salaries of teachers for which "the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has promised me."
Javed Ashraf Qazi appreciated educational reforms initiated by Punjab and urged other provinces to follow it for better results. "My ministry is all out to extend any support in this respect." The minister dilated upon the importance of science and technology to attain rapid progress and economic up-lift. He called for revision in examination system of the country, which had not been revised for the last 18 years.
The minister told the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) was very much aware of the inclusion of Aga Khan Education Board (AKEB) ordinance in the 17th Amendment bill, but did not oppose it at that time due to vested interests. He said MMA was dragging the nation into an era of confusion by hatching false and baseless propaganda against AKEB and the government's educational policies.
The minister added AKEB would never take over the national educational system, neither it would be allowed to take exams according to its own curriculum. "AKEB is bound under an ordinance to follow only the national curriculum approved by the federal ministry of education," he maintained.
On controversial questionnaire, Qazi said it was distributed by the world health organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the ministry of health and some NGOs under UN AIDS's programme in schools to judge awareness about HIV. He said when a lady senator from MMA brought that to his notice, he immediately wrote to the concerned authorities and the questionnaire was withdrawn with an apology letter from the Aga Khan Foundation.
AKEB had no concern with the questionnaire. Qazi said AKEB had the constitutional cover and no federating unit could oppose its implementation as it would be unconstitutional. He said all the provincial chief executives were legally and morally bound to implement the AKEB who would only affiliate the willing private schools in their respective provinces.