Karachi secondary board controversial promotions

BSEK to sort out controversial promotions
Karachi, Nov 14: Appointment of a secretary and a controller of examination are among the 21 issues to be discussed at a meeting of the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) on Saturday.The institution's board of governors will also sort out the issue of exempting police personnel from payment of fees for verification of the board's documents.

The senior positions of BSEK secretary and controller of examinations had fallen vacant during the course of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) annual examinations-2009. The positions were subsequently filled by promoting two officials.

The secretary and the controller had been sacked on April 9 after Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, who is also controlling authority of all educational boards of the province, ordered termination of their services following an inquiry into some cases of malpractice in the board's examinations. The inquiry report found the two officials involved in the malpractice on a massive scale. On April 13, BSEK director of educational research Hoor Mazhar, who was in BPS-18, was promoted to the post of secretary (BPS-19) by an appointment committee vide resolution No.8, dated June 22, 2009.

Her appointment was subsequently approved by the governor's secretariat vide letter No GS/10 (1)9/07 (SOIII)/531, dated July 20, 2009.Similarly, BSEK deputy secretary Kalim Asghar Kirmani (BPS-18) was promoted by an appointment committee to the post of controller of examinations (BPS-19) with effect from May 26, 2009 vide its resolution No.5, dated June 18, 2009. The appointment was approved by the BSEK board of governors vide Resolution No.8, dated June 22, 2009 and by the governor's secretariat vide letter No.GS/10 (1)9/07 (SOIII) 532, dated July 20, 2009.

Though BSEK officials justify the promotion of the deputy secretary to the post of controller of examinations on the basis of his seniority and vast experience, others wonder as to how can an official appointed as BSEK research officer in BPS-16 in 2003 has been given so rapid promotions to grade 19 in such a short span of time.

BSEK sources said that the incumbent secretary had initially joined the BSEK as research officer and then promoted to BPS-18 as director of educational research in 2006 in violation of the criterion set for the post. And again, she had been promoted to the post of secretary in grade 19.

Those on the board of governors include chairmen of all provincial educational boards, representatives of Karachi University and nominees of the boards' controlling authority. They are likely to take notice of the rapid promotion, that has created resentment among other board officials.

The meeting will also consider a request to exempt recruits of the capital city police from the payment of verification fees for the issuance of duplicate copies of SSC certificates, marks sheets, provisional certificates, etc. The request, according to the board officials, was made by the deputy superintendent (training and research) of the Capital City Police Training School. Dawn

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Monitoring duty irked punjab teachers
Lahore: Teachers' community and other administrative staff have criticised the government for involving them in the monitoring of sugar supply at union council level.

They are quite apprehensive of the fresh move, saying it can hamper teachers' performance, especially in the wake of the approaching examinations. They say the move will also affect the ongoing exercise related to security arrangements at the public sector schools.

They say, on the one hand, the government wants best results from schoolteachers while, on the other hand, it leaves no stone unturned to keep them busy in ëfrivolousí activities.

It is reliably learnt that the government had directed EDOs Education to involve their administrative staff and some teaching staff to keep complete record of supply and sale of sugar at shops at union council level in order to ensure the sale of sugar at Rs 40 per kg.

In Lahore, DCO Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta chaired a meeting of Town Municipal Officers (TMOs) and special magistrates on Friday, assigning shops to employees of Education, Health, Revenue, SWM and TMOs and TORs to keep record of sugar supply and sale at union council level.

Joint Action Committee (JAC) Asataza, Punjab, has strongly criticized the government for involving schoolteachers in the new exercise, saying the job is against the dignity of teachers.

Rana Liaqat of JAC Asataza, Punjab, said a teacher's primary job was to teach, adding such exercises badly affected performance of teachers. "The government has been claiming to restore dignity and honour of schoolteachers but by such moves it is damaging sanctity of this noble profession, he added.

He said it was quite unfortunate that teachers had been asked by deputy DOs and AEOs to assist them in new job related to sugar record. ìHow can teachers deliver the best results when they are engaged in such frivolous activities?î he said.

The Punjab Govt Schools Senior Staff Association (PGSSSA) president, Hafiz Abdul Nasir, said even administrative staff of education department should not be involved in the exercise. "The deputy DOs and AEOs are not supposed to look after sugar crisis", he said, adding, ìThey have lots of things to do especially in the prevailing circumstances".

A schoolteacher, on the condition of anonymity, said teachers were already busy in CM's Essay and Speech Contest questioning. He asked how they could focus their prime duty of teaching in such circumstance. Secretary Schools Aslam Kamboh said the provincial government had neither directed not requested for the involvement of schoolteachers in the new exercise. When contacted, Lahore EDO Education Dr Muhammad Arshad said the new task was being carried out on experimental basis. He said, "There is no harm if a deputy DO or AEO asks teachers to assist themî. They have been told to ask for teachers assistance only after school hours, if need be.

However, Dr Arshad further said primarily administrative staff including Deputy Dos, AEOs and class-IV employees would be engaged in maintaining record of supply and sale of sugar at shops at union council level in their respective towns.

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KU VC appoints new acting Dean for arts faculty
Karachi: Dr Muhammad Abdush Shaheed Nomani has been asked to assume the charge of acting dean of the University of Karachi (KU) Faculty of Arts by KU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof. Pirzada Qasim.

Dr Nomani is the senior-most professor (in Grade 22) at KU and also the chairman of the Arabic department of the university. His appointment as the Faculty of Arts dean has to be approved by KU Chancellor (also the Sindh Governor) Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan.

Dr Nomani has been preferred over two other senior professors, Dr Hafiz Ehsanul Haque and Saleem Memon, because Dr Nomani is in grade 22 while the other two are in grade 21.

Though Prof. Saleem Memon from the Department of Sindhi is also an aspirant for the post as he had joined KU about five months before Dr Nomani, professors at the Faculty of Arts said that Prof. Memon is not an ideal candidate for the deanship. The professors said that Prof. Memon does not have a PhD and limited research credentials. Deans are generally required to have PhDs because they are involved in research work.

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Enhancing education, technology need of hour
Karachi: Advancement in education and technology is the need of the hour, stated the Sindh Minister for Youth Affairs, Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari.

He was talking to a delegation of youngsters from interior Sindh at his office on Friday. The minister said that he would ask the government that career counselling should be arranged at the school, college, and university levels to help facilitate youngsters in choosing a career for themselves.

He was of the view that there was a need for restoring the confidence among the youths as they were an important part of society and had to assume future responsibilities.

Subzwari was of the view that with career counselling and guidance, the youngsters would be able to secure their future and also contribute their bit to the economic development as well as progress of the country.

Sindh Secretary Youth Affairs, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, said that fostering awareness would help the youth make headway. The Director, Youth Affairs, Sikandar Ali Shaikh, apprised the delegation of the future projects of the Sindh Department of Youth Affairs.

The leader of the delegation, Kaleem Solangi, said that such courses would help enhance the professional capabilities of the youth.

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Establishment of law college at Hala discussed
Karachi: Establishment of law college at Hala discussed: The establishment of a law college at Hala came up for consideration at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Makhdoom Jameel-uz-Zaman, here on Friday.

Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haque, Sindh Minister for Law Muhammad, Ayaz Soomro, and other officers attended the meeting. The Executive Officer, Works and Services, Matiari, informed the meeting that the scheme costing Rs87.332 million was approved and included in the current year's ADP and will be completed in three years. The news

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