Punjab government's Education priority issue
Change of heads undermines literacy dept
Lahore, June 15: Education does not seem to be on the Punjab government's priority
list as the department dealing with literacy and non-formal education has
witnessed change of around a dozen administrative heads over the past one and a
half years. As many as eight secretaries have been changed since the
PML-N assumed power in Punjab after the February 2008 Elections. Academic
circles say frequent change of administrative heads is a hindrance to the
implementation of policies, leaving a bad impact on the overall working the
department. It is pertinent to mention that the participants of a
seminar held last month, also attended by Punjab Minister for Education Mian
Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, passed a resolution to highlight the importance of
long-term stay of secretaries of education and literacy departments, stating the
short-term stay was resulting in the mismanagement of the important sector.
The depressing story of the Literacy & Non Formal Basic Education
(L&NFBE) Department, Punjab, began after Abdul Rauf Khan was transferred on
January 21, 2008. Afterwards the additional charge was given to Khalid Akhlaq
Gilani who continued to serve the department till February 1,2008. He was
replaced by Abdul Rauf Khan who continued to serve till April 20,2008.
Afterwards Capt (r) Zahid Saeed was given additional charge who served
the department till May 8,2008. The next administrative head was Arifa Saboohi
who held the additional charge till May 21 of the year. Khalid Pervaiz was next
secretary of the department for hardly a month. Afterwards, Nadeem
Ashraf served as secretary in the department for more more than a month before
he was replaced by Mirza Sohail Aamir who remained on the post till September 3,
2008. Capt (r) Maroof Afzal, who headed the department till October 15,
2008, was followed by Mirza Sohail Aamir. He was given additional charge till
November 13, 2008 until Mian Muhammad Zulqernain Aamir held the reigns of the
department. The incumbent Secretary Haseeb Athar has been holding the post since
April 1st of the current year. Mian Mujtaba Shujaur
Rehman, who holds additional charge of ministry of education and literacy, said
he was not aware of such frequent changes as he was given additional charge some
three months back. "During my tenure, only one secretary has been changed," he
said, adding, "The government would ensure stay of administrative head for a
reasonable time".
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Nursing school without head for 10 years
Lahore: The Punjab Health Department has failed to
appoint Principal of Nursing School, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, since its
establishment a decade ago. Besides, it is also learnt that the post of Chief
Nursing Superintendent was also lying vacant since the year 2004. However,
Nursing Superintendent, a grade-18 employee, was looking after Nursing School as
well as working nurses in Jinnah Hospital for the last many years. The Jinnah
Hospital officials also informed that incumbent Nursing Superintendent was
serving in Nursing School since the last one decade. When contacted, the Jinnah
Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Umer Farooq Baloch said that he had written a
letter to the Health Department, Punjab, for filling two key posts of nursing
sector in Jinnah Hospital to improve the performance of nurses to ensure quality
patient care in the hospital. The News
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