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Futile academic shifts: Caretakers can't approve education policy
Futile academic shifts
Feb 02, 2008: As elections approach,
it appears that some in the caretaker set-up may be in a hurry to implement new
agendas that are not only too ambitious, but also fairly disruptive. Being
unelected and not being accountable to the people, the present government has no
moral or political ground to take steps as the one under consideration by the
Sindh education minister. His department has arbitrarily announced a shift in
the start of the school year. Much consideration had led to an August-start
academic calendar last year, which is now being switched to an April to March
schedule. This has led to much consternation amongst parents and eminent
educationists who have accused the concerned ministry of abuse of power and have
also questioned how an intense summer, cited as one of the reasons, calls for
changes in academic commitments. The controversial proclamation is also in
direct conflict with international practices, whereby institutions observe a
school schedule that allows the year to end with the long break when students
can enjoy a carefree summer vacation. Moreover a change will be in conflict with
British examinations such as O and A levels that are taken by many students in
this country.
Other than these inconveniences, the department's
April-start announcement has served to heighten a long-standing problem of
delays in textbook timetables. The Sindh Textbook Board has already hinted that
it may not be able to meet the new deadline for the distribution of books,
leaving the decision of a revised school year in the doldrums. Also, a term that
concludes on March 31 reduces academic days to a mere 103, which violates the
180-day schedule stipulated by the education department. There has been
speculation that vested interests with financial motives may be behind the move.
The decision now rests on an inter-provincial meeting scheduled for early next
week. On the other end, the fact that the decision has been taken in an interim
environment makes it all the more contentious. The tasks before the caretaker
government are those of supervision of existing mechanisms, resolving urgencies
and at the most, of enhancing present structures. One, therefore, hopes that the
government will refrain from taking measures that are unsettling and are likely
to be undone by the elected successors.
Caretakers can't approve education policy
Islamabad: Consumer Rights Protection Commission of Pakistan
(CRPC) has strongly opposed the interim government's bid to approve the draft
national education policy.
It said approval of the policy by a caretaker
government would serve the vested interests and lack credibility and
ownership.
The CRCP said the government had decided to accord approval to
the revised draft policy on February 4, just two weeks before the general
elections, which was against democratic norms.
During the tenure of
previous elected government, the Federal Ministry of Education undertook a
review process to revise the national education policy 1998-2010 through
consultations with key stakeholders. A revised draft policy was developed in
2007.
The draft, however, was not approved because it could not be
presented to the cabinet for discussion.
As a result, it could not be put
before the parliament for debate as well.
The CRCP said the task of
caretaker government was to run the routine business and ensure transparency in
elections. It does not have the necessary mandate from the public to enforce
such a crucial policy in absence of an elected government.
He regretted
that the caretaker government had reversed the decisions of an elected
government by changing the academic sessions.
The previous government had
notified academic session from August to May, whereas the present caretaker
government has undone this decision by granting approval of session from April
with summer vacations falling within the session.
The Secretary General
CRCP said that nowhere in the world do the interim governments reverse major
decisions of elected governments or take on the responsibility of enforcing
major policies.
The role expected from them is to manage the affairs of
the government on day-to-day basis until new government is elected through fair
and free elections, he remarked.
The CRCP urged the interim government,
particularly the interim minister for education, to leave it for the next
elected government to approve the proposed draft national education policy. It
stressed that the revised draft must be approved only after proper debate in the
elected parliament. Dawn
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| Education News | | Updated: 08 Feb, 2012 |
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