ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education, Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture expressed "serious concern" over the performance of Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MOFEPT) as well as its attached departments, and constituted a sub-committee on Tuesday to deal with issues related to HEC while seeking a briefing from Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) regarding matters concerning federal education in the next meeting.
The committee met under the chair of Mian Najeeb Ud Din Awaisi to discuss issues concerning federal education sector. In the meeting, the NA panel members were of the general view that scores of universities were facing serious problems due to the "impracticable policies and bureaucratic approach" of HEC.
"If HEC kept showing bureaucratic apathy and highhandedness towards the universities, how will higher education ever improve in Pakistan?" the committee members remarked. After detailed discussion, the NA committee appointed a sub-committee under the convenorship of Sadaqat Abbasi from the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to discuss the "challenges faced by universities under HEC."
The NA panel rejected a briefing given by Director General FDE Professor Dr Ikram Ali Malik regarding admission policy of federal government schools in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), and sought another briefing on the matter in the next meeting.
"The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training and its attached departments need to do a lot- to put their house in order. Tall claims aside, actions speak louder than words," remarked the committee chairman. "Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood needs to devote his time and energy to address the issues related to education sector," he added.
Earlier, briefing the NA panel on the current admission policy in ICT schools, the DG FDE stated that the children/dependants of ICT and children of federal government/semi-government employees residing in ICT were eligible for admission in government schools close to their residences. Priority was given to the residents of the union councils/sectors where the respective schools are located, he added.
Preference was also given, in admissions, to those students in government schools whose siblings were already enrolled in the respective schools, the DG said. Admission tests were conducted for admissions in those government schools where the number of applicants for admission exceeds intake capacity, the DG FDE said.
Director National Curriculum Council (NCC) Mariam Chughtai briefed the committee that Single National Curriculum (SNC) would be fully launched in three phases. The SNC is aimed at providing equal learning opportunities to "all classes of people and it will help the students and parents in case of interprovincial mobility," she said.
The committee sought a comprehensive briefing from NCC on SNC and other relevant issues in the next meeting. The panel also considered government's Pakistan Global Institute Bill 2021 and Pakistan Institute of Education Bill 2021. After detailed deliberations, the committee finally passed the Pakistan Institute of Education Bill 2021 but deferred till next meeting the Pakistan Global Institute Bill 2021.
The committee passed private-member bill; Dyslexia Special Measures Bill, 2021, moved by Mehnaz Akbar Aziz and deferred till next meeting another private-member bill; NCS-Institute of Sciences Bill 2021, moved by James Iqbal till next meeting.
Parliamentary Secretary Education Wajiha Qamar and committee members including Sadaqat Abbasi, Javairia Zafar Aheer, Umar Aslam Khan, Farooq Azam Malik, Nafeesa Khattak, Andleeb Abbas, Mehnaz Akbar Aziz, Jamshed Thomas, and senior officials of the ministries and departments concerned attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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