Punjab not serious about education | Contract lecturers future
Punjab not serious about education sector?
Lahore: The Punjab government has been running the education sector in a
casual manner as the Ministry of Education, its various wings and autonomous
bodies are being administered by the officials having additional
charge. Minister for Excise and Taxation Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman has been
holding the additional portfolio of education for the last many months while
earlier Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was himself looking after this important
ministry. The other autonomous bodies and attached wings of the education
department, being administered by those having additional charge include the
Punjab Education Foundation, Punjab Examination Commission, Board of
Intermediate and Secondary Education, Faisalabad, and Pak Canada Debt Swap
Project. The post of the PEF managing director has been lying vacant for
over a year now while Schools Secretary Nadeem Ashraf has been holding the
additional charge of the post. Similarly, the post of PEC chief
executive officer has also been lying vacant for the last many months while
programme director of Directorate of Staff Development Aslam Kamboh has been
given the charge on an additional basis. On 25 May, he was also given additional
charge of the Pak Canada Debt Swap Project which was earlier held by the Schools
secretary. The post of the chairman of the Board of Intermediate and
Secondary Education, Faisalabad, has also been lying vacant since February this
year while the board's secretary had been assigned to look after it.
Sources in the department said the stakeholders, especially students,
their parents and teachers had to face problems in the absence of a regular
incumbent, adding that a number of issues remained unresolved due to the absence
of a regular top official. Giving an example, they said in absence of a regular
chairman, no other official of a BISE could call a meeting of the Board of
Governors of a particular board. The sources said 20 per cent of salary
was awarded when someone was given an additional charge besides many other
facilities like official vehicle, adding that the bureaucracy was obliging its
own men by giving them additional charge. Punjab
Professors and Lecturers Association President Nazim Hasnain said teachers'
problems had been multiplying in the absence of a regular education minister.
He said: "We, college teachers, have never met Mian Mujtaba Shujaur
Rehman who has been holding additional portfolio of education ministry," adding
that the college teachers were at the mercy of bureaucracy. He said in absence
of a regular incumbent, teachers, who were currently protesting, doubted that
their concerns were not being conveyed to the chief minister in true
spirit. "Mian Sahib is not aware of issues related to education as his
regular ministry is Excise and Taxation," the PPLA president said. When
contacted, Aslam Kamboh, who has got the additional charge of the Punjab
Examination Commission, said he had not welcomed the additional charge and it
was in fact a stopgap arrangement. He said advertisement for the PEC's CEO would
soon be advertised in newspapers. We could not reach Mujtaba
Shujaur Rehman for his comments despite repeated attempts. The News
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"I want to invite Chief Ministers attention regarding the proposed regularization of the Govt. employees in Punjab specially those selected through Punjab Public Service Commission. The matter has been fallen prey of Red strips. I am attaching a copy of a notification by S&GAD. Govt. of Punjab dated Nov 10, 2010, regarding regularization of the contract employees in 16 and above Scales, especially those selected through Punjab Public Service Commission. The commissions screening of candidates is tough and off course on merit. It can be described by this example: In selection of Botany lecturers (in 2009), out of 2800 female candidates only 300 toppers were called for interview based upon the written exam and academic records. Then in interviews out of 300, only 26 candidates were offered a position as Lecturer on contract basis. (Success rate is 0.93 only, in this case). This tedious exercise took 2 prolonged years. Now, after issuance of the said notification (more than four months have been passed) the lecturers are still waiting for any progress in this regard. The Higher Education department is waiting for what? Through your reputed paper I want to remind authorities (CM Shahbaz Sharif sb and Secretary Higher Education) to issue orders to do it at earliest to dissolve the unrest. There are no two opinions that mental confidence and satisfaction is the key for motivation and performance. Moreover, Instead of any more expenses on the regularization of teachers/employees, Govt. of Punjab will have rather financial benefits as she has to pay less than now being paid as extra allowances due to contract policy. It is carefully estimated that on an average Govt. will save at least Rs.5000/per employee by regularizing them. In spite of expected cut in salaries, the employees strongly desire to be regularized (mainly due to sense of security) at earliest just like the school side teachers were done in 2010."
Name: Abdullah
Email: mabdullah138@gmail.com
City, Country:Pakistan
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Contract lecturers to be regularized
Lahore: A high-level committee on Education has
recommended the regularization of the contract lecturers as well as new
allowances for college teachers. The committee was constituted by the Chief
Minister, Punjab, Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to review the demands of the
public sector college professors and submit recommendations. This committee has
proposed performance based incentives geared to improve teaching in public
sector colleges. The public sector college professors have been demanding 4 tier
structure formula, promotion through time scale, one step upgradation of all
posts at par with the University professors; remote areas allowance; uniformity
in house rent, conveyance; Ph.D allowances; medical allowance at 30% of the
basic scale since April last. According to official sources, the committee has
prepared a comprehensive report with financial implications to present to be the
Chief Minister in a day or two. The committee has recommended that the Ph.D
allowance for the Arts and Humanities college teachers may be increased from
3000 to 5000 Rs per month. Unattractive areas allowance has also been proposed
at the rate of Rs 3000 per month in the 26 remote districts of Punjab. New
allowances have been proposed for the principals. The principals of 317 colleges
in the remote areas would get Rs. 7000 per month, while the principals of the
remaining 107 colleges would get big city allowance at the rate of Rs 4000 pm.
The committee has proposed an increase of Rs 2000 in the honorarium of the
Honorary Teaching Assistants (HTAs) from 8000 to Rs 10,000. The regularization
of the contract lecturers has been proposed since the move would not cause any
burden on the provincial exchequer and this decision would open vistas of
promotion of the regular professors, said the sources. An estimated amount of Rs
424 million will be incurred on the incentives proposed for the college
teachers. The committee is headed by the Additional Chief Secretary, Punjab,
Javed Aslam and comprises the secretaries from Finance, Services, Law, Planning
and Development (P&D), Regulation, Higher Education and a member from PPSC. App
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Punjab University announced MBE & MA results
Lahore: The Punjab University (PU) Examination Department declared the results of various
examinations on Tuesday. These exams include Master of Business Education (MBE),
Supplementary, Semester System, Session 2006-2008, MA Education (Secondary),
Semester System, Supplementary, Session 2006-2008, Master of English Language
Teaching & Linguistics, Semester System, Supplementary, Session 2006-2008,
MA Education (Islamic), Semester System, Supplementary, Session 2006-2008,
Master of Business Education (MBE), Self-Supporting, Semester System, Session
2006-2008 and Master of English Language Teaching & Linguistics,
Self-Supporting, Semester System, Supplementary, Session 2006-2008. Detailed
results are available on PU website www.pu.edu.pk. The News
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PU to establish medical, relief camp
Lahore: A 23-member medical relief team of Punjab University
will establish a relief camp at Shah Mansoor, District Sawabi, where internally
displaced persons (IDPs) from Sawat, Buner and Malakand have taken refuge. The
team comprised of senior doctors, paramedical staff, faculty members and
students will departure at 10:00pm tonight (Tuesday) after a special ceremony
which will be presided over by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran. The
ceremony will be held at PU Department of Press & Publications (adjacent to
Admin Block), New Campus. The team is also taking medicines and other relief
goods for the affectees of Swat and Buner who have taken refuge in Mardan,
District Sawabi and other adjacent areas. Centre for High Energy Physics (CHEP)
Director Prof Dr Khawja Haris Rasheed is leading the team while Dr Abul Wafa
Mahmood of Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre (SZIC) and Chief Security Officer (CSO)
Major (retd) Taif-ur-Rehman are Camp Incharge. The team would establish the
relief camp for one month where fresh team after each ten days will replace the
existing team. F.P report
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CSA delegation visits GCU
Lahore: An eighteen-member delegation
of officers on probation at the Civil Services Academy (CSA) visited Government
College University (GCU) on Tuesday. The officers visited GCU in
connection with their research project on 'the role of private institutions
vis-à-vis government institutions in providing quality education of university
level analysis and recommendations'. Daily Times
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