Punjab college teachers absenteeism

Biometric sensors to check college absenteeism
Lahore, Nov 25: In order to curb the increasing trend of absenteeism among college teachers, the Punjab Higher Education Department has decided to install biometric sensors in public sector colleges to have complete and exact details about their arrival and departure.

In the first phase, the department would soon launch a pilot project under which the digital device would be installed in ten selected colleges of Lahore. Depending upon it success, the facility would be offered at more than 430 colleges of the province.

An official of the department, on condition of anonymity, said the department had been receiving complaints on frequent basis that some teachers, in most of the colleges, were habitual absconders and were not ensuring their presence at colleges during the whole working hours. He said such complaints had been received even about the non-teaching staff.

"Teachers manage their attendance on duty registers and leave college early to mint more and more money by teaching at private colleges and tuition centres," he said, adding, "This absenteeism is certainly costing a lot to the department."He said the skyrocketing inflation was compelling people to go for more than one jobs but it did not justify absenteeism.

Biometric sensors, he said, would eliminate paper-attendance while complete record would be available on a simple click. The device would also help to assess the performance of teaching and non-teaching staff, he added.

He said each staffer would have to touch the biometric sensor to check in and out, adding the device would automatically verify their thumb impressions. It is pertinent to mention that, a couple of months ago, the department had issued strict instructions to colleges to ensure punctuality of teaching and non-teaching staff, asking all the staff members be present in colleges for full working hours i.e from 8am to 3pm.

The government has decided to make use of modern technology after failing to control absenteeism, sources in the department said. They said a list of ten colleges, five from male and five from female colleges, was being prepared where the devices would be installed.

They said the colleges were yet to be finalized for pilot project in Lahore. However, they said, the device would be installed at big colleges including Govt Islamia College Civil Lines, Govt College of Science, Wahdat Road, Govt MAO College, Govt College for Women, Gulberg and Govt Islamia College for Women, Cooper Road.

When contacted, Punjab Higher Education secretary Ahad Khan Cheema confirmed the development, saying the new system would soon be introduced in ten selected colleges of the provincial metropolis.

Talking about financial aspect of the said project, he said each device would cost from six to seven thousand but it would improve the results of the department. He said the device would also be used to evaluate teachers' performance which was not less than a challenge for the department.

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Hunger strike camp against expulsions
Lahore: The Islami Jamiat Talaba on Tuesday continued its hunger strike camp against expulsion of its members from the Punjab University.

According to a press statement, the IJT had set up a hunger strike camp outside the Lahore Press Club on Monday to protest against the PU administration for expelling students from the university. They demanded the Punjab chief minister and governor to take notice of the issue.

The statement said the PU's allegation that Jamiat activists were involved in cutting a security barrier the other day was aimed at diverting the public attention from the issue of students' expulsion from the university.

"Those who were alleged for the incident were the students protesting against the university through a hunger strike," the statement maintained. Meanwhile, a PU press statement said that the IJT activists had been expelled due to their involvement in illegal activities on the campus.

"They stood trial before the disciplinary action committee which is comprised of senior most teachers of the university," the PU spokesman said, adding: "The expelled students were also involved in life attempts at PU law college students as they had opened fire on the innocent students sleeping in hostels in December 2008."

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PU awarded PhD
Lahore: The Punjab University awarded PhDs to two students in different subjects on Tuesday. According to a press statement, Shahid Atiq has been awarded PhD in Solid State Physics after approval of his thesis "Preparation of Giant Magnetic Materials of Iron Nitride Related Compounds." Tasneem Rehman has been awarded a PhD in Urdu after approval of her research thesis.

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Teachers reject govt move to hire Baboos in BISEs
Lahore: Teachers of government schools have strongly reacted to the Punjab government's move to invite applications from DMG/PMS officers for appointment against top slots of examination boards of the province.

The reaction was highlighted at a press conference at Lahore Press Club on Tuesday. Punjab Government Schools Senior Staff Association (PGSSSA) President Hafiz Abdul Nasir an d other office-bearers including Senior Vice President Attiq ur Rehman Kiyani and Secretary General Zarar Ahmed flayed the move saying this was an effort to induct bureaucrats in the boards against posts of chairmen, secretaries and controllers examination.

They claimed the posts were more of academic nature than administrative on which only professionals should be appointed, adding ever since establishment of boards, teachers were being appointed against such posts.

The schoolteachers said, "The bureaucrats are eyeing these posts as if they had eliminated corruption from other departments. The NRO list contains names of many bureaucrats but not of a single employee of the Education department," they added.

The PGSSSA questioned involvement of schoolteachers in sugar-related monitoring duties, saying the task was harmful both for teachers and students. "The government claims only clerical staff is involved in the process while in reality teachers are still performing these duties", they claimed.

It is pertinent to mention here that schoolteachers had been issuing statements ever since the Punjab Higher Education Department advertised that DMG/PMS officers could also apply for the top slots at Boards of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISEs) a couple of weeks ago.

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Punjab inter result distinction
Lahore: The students of Punjab Colleges attained top positions in all the eight education boards of Punjab. The distinguished students were entitled to total cash prizes of Rs 23.6 million and heads of their institutions received Rs 11.8 million. Teachers and students of the Punjab Colleges praised the education-friendly policies of the Punjab chief minister. The news

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Hilal-e-Ahmar awareness sessions
Lahore: Two youth awareness sessions were held under the auspices of Hilal-e-Ahmar, Punjab, at Veterinary University Health Sciences and Lahore University, Ralwind Road.

According to a press release on Monday, the awareness sessions continued for three days to teach camping, first aid training, disaster management training and emergency response to male and female students. Later, certificates were also distributed among students. APP

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Educators oath taking ceremony
Lahore: Oath taking ceremonies for newly recruited Educators will be held on 25th November at 11 A.M in all District Head Quarters of the province.

Before the starting of their career as teacher, the educator will take oath and pledge that they will perform their duties with full dedication and utilize their potential to prepare the young generation to face the future challenge and make their students true Pakistani and responsible citizen of country.

The Provincial Ministers, special assistants to Chief Minister, advisors, and members of National and Provincial Assembly will administer the Oath of educators. F.P Report

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