Ad-hoc lecturers uncertain future
600 ad-hoc lecturers face uncertain future
Karachi, Jan 02: The fate of more than 600 ad-hoc lecturers, including
teachers of the Sindhi language, hangs in the balance as their services have
neither been regularised nor extended as the three-month extension in their
service given them earlier has expired. Besides them, there are 700 more
lecturers, selected after written tests and interviews conducted almost a year
ago by a committee that had a representative of the Sindh Public Service
Commission (SPSC) on it, who are scrambling to get their posting orders despite
possessing appointment letters.The ad-hoc lecturers (around 500 general
subject teachers and over 118 of the Sindhi language) have been posted in
various government colleges across Sindh for the last four years.Giving
a breakdown of the present posting of the ad-hoc lecturers, sources said that of
the around 500 ad-hoc lecturers of general subjects, 89 male and 78 female
lecturers were serving in public sector colleges of the Karachi region; 68 male
and 61 female in the Hyderabad region, 20 male and 13 female in the Mirpurkhas
region, 29 male and 20 female in the Larkana region and 68 male and 36 female
were posted in the colleges of the Sukkur region. Besides, there are in all 118
ad-hoc lecturers of the Sindhi language who are posted in colleges across the
province.They were initially appointed on a three-year contract when
Irfanullah Marwat was the provincial education minister. Since the expiry of
their three-year service last year, the Sindh education department has
continuously been granting extension in their service to overcome the acute
shortage of college teachers throughout the province. The last extension in
service grated to both categories of ad-hoc lecturers was for three months -
from Aug 1 to Oct 31, 2008 in the case of ad-hoc lecturers of general subjects
and from Aug 16 to Nov 15 for the ad-hoc lecturers of Sindhi.However, it
was shocking that although more than two months had lapsed since the expiry of
the extension granted in the service of both categories the provincial education
department has taken no concrete steps concerning the fate of the ad-hoc
lecturers.Sources in the education department said that a summary,
recommending a last and final extension of three months (from November to
January) in services of both categories of ad-hoc lecturers, had already been
prepared for the consideration of the Sindh chief minister, but the ad-hoc
lecturers were highly perturbed about their future in case the proposed
extension in their service proved the last one.Meanwhile, the Sindh
Professors and Lecturers Association's Karachi chapter general secretary, Prof
Iftikhar Azmi, said that the provincial SPLA had already fixed Jan 15 as
the deadline for the acceptance of its demands which include regularisation of
all ad-hoc lecturers and some other lingering issues, and if the education
department failed to accept their demands by the deadline, the teaching
community would launch a campaign for the acceptance of its demands and the
government would be held responsible in case their drive resulted in disturbing
the peaceful atmosphere of colleges in the province.Expressing his
concern over the delay in regularising the services of all ad-hoc lecturers and
in giving posting to the SPSC-selected teachers, he said it was beyond one's
comprehension why the government was hesitating in accommodating these lecturers
when there was a shortage of around 2,600 college teachers across the
province.He said it would not be for the first time in case the present
government decided to regularise service of ad-hoc lecturers because the
previous governments had also regularised services of ad-hoc lecturers at least
on four occasions, in 1973, 1989, 1992 and 1994, and it was a coincidence that
the PPP was in power whenever services of ad-hoc lecturers were
regularised.He said the teaching community would not have faced such
problems if PPP leader Benazir Bhutto were alive. Dawn
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Karachi University failed to conduct classes on first day of new year
Karachi: The new academic year at the University of Karachi (KU) began on
Thursday with the newly-admitted students visiting their respective departments
only to be informed that the departments had not received the complete list from
the Admission Committee (AC). The students then trudged back to the
administration block and were informed that the list would be sent to the
departments concerned on January 3. Department of Urdu Chairman Dr Zafar
Iqbal criticised the dismal performance of the AC and their failure to allow the
departments to begin the teaching process on the first day of the academic
year."It is deplorable that the AC has failed so badly in its domain.
What is the use of a committee if it fails to deliver?" Dr Iqbal said. He also
lamented the indecision of university officials about the MS/PhD admissions.
"They are still clueless about admissions in research-based degrees. There was
no planning and no parameters for the admission. A powerful political party is
lobbying not to grant admissions to MS/PhD to those who have received their
Masters degrees as external students. This step probably has been taken to deny
admissions to the non-teaching staff of another political party. It is
disgusting."Another department chairperson, requesting anonymity,
thought that the KU administration had neglected the interest of 27,000 students
to solve the messy problem of mere 700 to 750 research students."The
university has asked the teachers to conduct classes for MS/PhD students in the
morning session. When the administration was asked who will teach BS and Masters
students, it said that 'cooperative teachers' will teach them. It is pathetic.
How does the administration expect cooperative teachers to teach students of
Masters classes," he wondered.An Associate Professor in Faculty of Arts
disagreed with the complaints by certain teachers. "It is not a new phenomenon.
Documentation in respective departments was in vogue a couple of years ago, then
discontinued and reintroduced this year. The new students are supposed to
interact with the student advisors at the departments. I think it is not
unfair," she said.Dr Saleem Shahzad could not be contacted at his office
because he was thronged by students and both his cell phones were powered
off.
KU Examinations
B.Com Part I and II External Examinations-2008
commence from today (Friday). About 23, 766 students will appear in the
examinations which will be conducted between 02:00 pm and 05:00 pm. The Friday
timings are 02:30 to 05:30 pm. The News
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"well i just wanted to know that if the admissions in afternoon shift are still open ???? please let me know as soon as possible because they havent updated anything about it on their official site."
Name: zoya
Email: zoyasajid@hotmail.com
City, Country: Karachi, Pakistan
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Jinnah university for women, Karachi academic sessions
Karachi: Jinnah university for women karachi academic
year begins from january 1,2009. Orientaion of faculty of arts held on 1
january 2009 at 10:00.. , faculty of science orientation held on 1 january
2009 at 12:00 ,faculty of pharmacy orientaion held on 2 january 2009 at 10:00
,faculty of commerce and business adminnistration orientaion held on 3 january
2009 at 10:00.. after orientation classes starts from 5 january
2009. -By Sana tariq
JUW afternoon shift program
Jinnah university for women karachi (juw) has launched the afternoon shift program. Addmissions are open in two years B.S, four years B.S and B.ED programs, diploma courses and certificate courses. -By Sana tariq
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