|
|
|
|
Old academic session to be revived: Ahsan
Islamabad, May 10, 2008: The federal government has announced to follow the old academic
session (April to March) and one curriculum in all the four provinces as well as
Azad Jammu & Kashmir from next academic year.
Addressing a press
conference, Federal Minister for Education Ahsan Iqbal said that the decision to
revive old academic session and to follow one curriculum was taken in the 13th
Inter-Provincial Education Minister's Conference held here Friday. The
conference was participated by all the four provincial ministers for education
as well as AJK, besides education secretaries and officials of the Ministry of
Education and concerned educational departments.
The minister said that
the meeting reviewed in detail the overall education situation, which he
regretted was very disappointing. Huge problems emerged in the sector of
education. During the last eight years Pakistan's ranking at international level
in the sector of education and human development had slipped from 130th to 136th
position. Huge funds worth billions of rupees were allocated during the previous
government but those were not utilised for the promotion of education.
He
said out of 7,000 union councils in the country, 4,000 union councils have no
high school for girls. While more than 2,000 councils have no high school for
boys.
Similarly, there is no facility of science and computer
laboratories in several union councils. Over 70 per cent of government schools
have no science laboratory while 95 per cent have no access of computer
laboratory.
Ahsan Iqbal regretted that over the last eight years under
'Parha Likha' Punjab billions of rupees were allocated but the position in
education sector was dissatisfactory. He said there is acute shortage of
teachers in primary, middle and high schools. The annual GDP was 1.8 per cent in
last years while in 90s it was 2.2 per cent. In developed countries the same
ratio of GDP is from 4 to 20 per cent.
He said that educational funds
were curtailed during the previous government. He said, "the meeting stressed
the need for equalling the chain of education for enhancing its value. We
reviewed over all situation and decided unanimously to lay topmost priority to
education and human resource sector."
According to the decision taken in
the conference, the new academic session would start from April to March from
next academic year in all schools and colleges.
He informed that the next
textbooks have yet not been prepared by the previous government. Under these
circumstance, new uniform curriculum would be introduced from next academic
session. The old syllabus would continue till next academic session as it is yet
not prepared, the minister said.
The provincial ministers as well as AJK
minister have been asked to propose suggestions to be introduced in next
education policy, which will be based on a knowledge gaining and human resource
development. After receiving proposals and suggestions, a National Education
Summit would be held in June to be participated by educationists, intellectuals
and scholars, teachers and professors to get their proposals for new
policy.
Thereafter a drat would be prepared to be discussed in the
National Assembly for getting it approved unanimously by the members of the
parliament.
Referring to students union, the minister said that an
effective and comprehensive strategy would be adopted to revive the students
unions in colleges from next academic year. In this connection a workshop would
be organised to be participated by heads of the institutions and students as
well as professors and lecturers to get their views.
He said a new law if
needed would be enacted. He said while reviving students unions "we would keep
in view that no violence or any other aggressive attitude should be tolerated on
the part of students who are members of their respective
unions."
Moreover, all the provinces and AJK members agreed to achieve
100 per cent literacy target by the year 2010 in primary education. He informed
that as far as the issue of missing facility in schools is concerned this sector
has been run by the Directorate General of Military Operations. However, now it
has been agreed upon to handover it back to the respective provinces from July 1
this year. An amount of Rs7.6 billion had been earmarked for overcoming missing
facilities in schools, he said. This section would be transformed into permanent
organisation. There will be a working coordination between the federal
government and provinces in education sector.
Earlier on, the subject has
been related with provinces. Similarly, the government has decided to improve
the over all condition of education system in Balochistan provinces which at
present is very poor. Effective steps would be taken to bring this province at
par with other provinces of the country in the field of education.
To a
question, the minister informed that the efforts of the new government would be
to allocate sufficient funds for education in the annual budget. However, due to
crippling economy which is a gift of the previous government, the new government
would not be in a position to allocate huge funds for the education sector in
the coming annual budget.
"Due to wrong policies of the previous
government, we have suffered a loss of Rs500 billion in education sector which
has to be recovered through effective strategy," he said.
To another
question, Ahsan Iqbal said that the government would give priority to promote
science and computer education. High schools for both boys and girls would be
opened in the union councils. Our efforts would be to promote information
technology.
To a query, the minister said that the task of Army personnel
to supervise headmasters and teachers in government schools have brought up
negative impacts. However, this system is being changed under the new policy
which would be action oriented. Nevertheless our steps for education would bring
up good results over the next two years.
To yet another question, Ahsan
Iqbal said that the service structure of the schools' teachers would be
improved. A new package for teachers would be announced sometime this year under
which pay scales and grades would be enhanced. The schoolteachers would work
under district level and college lecturers would work at division level without
making transfers and postings. They, through this system, would work in their
own respective stations.
Similarly, the teachers working on contract
basis for more than five years would be regularised under the new policy.
However, the appointment of schoolteachers would be made on merit and preference
would be given to post graduates and those who have cleared CSS.
The new
education policy would be progressive one to handle diversity but while
remaining in our culture and tradition.
While concluding his remarks, the
minister also vowed to introduce the old system of 'Smart Schools' project,
which was abandoned. The News
|
|
|
|
 |
| Post your Comments/ Views about the news. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Education News | | Updated: 25 May, 2012 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
