Transport problems of Islamabad school kids

School kids stuffed like goods in vehicles
Islamabad, Oct 4: I have had a lot of nerve-wracking moments in life, but none compared to this one. This happened when I was going to my office Saturday morning. Kids were going to school in a van. There was a road accident involving three vehicles. Everybody's heartbeat seemed to stop for a while. Fortunately, the van carrying school kids remained safe.

There are many examples on how drivers of school and college buses in the city pander to careless driving to reach their destinations in time. In Pindi the speed of the vehicles goes unchecked. The drivers pay scant regard to the safety of kids seated inside these vehicles. Occasionally negligible accidents in which school/college buses are involved are reported in the city and suburbs, happily with no grievous injury to students.

Apart from driving in a rash and slipshod manner, blowing horns within the city limits, particularly near hospital zones, and drivers talking over mobile phone while driving go unchecked. It poses a threat to other motorists and pedestrians. Judging by the appearance of the school vehicles there is every reason to believe that greater part of them is much, much worse.

Realizing the problems involved in the transport of kids, some parents assign the task to private operators. Just a very few institutions care for the school kids by closely monitoring the mode of transport used by their students. Though many parents have switched over to private vans after realizing the risks involved in sending their wards in jam-packed school buses, private drivers also drive heedlessly.

Last week, a sudden application of brakes by a van driver, who was talking over his mobile phone, on the Airport Link Road stretch not only knocked a two-wheeler rider down but the sliding door of the van also opened in the process. Luckily the kids remained unhurt. Many parents expect a more dependable role by the educational institutions and private van owners in providing a safe ride for the students. By plainly breaking traffic rules in connection with transporting school students to their schools from home and vice-versa, the school buses and parallel services are jeopardizing lives of hundreds of school kids.

Though the traffic police has given clear guidelines to vehicles plying with school kids, a usual site that one sees on road is school kids stuffed in these vehicles. Transport planners say accidents involving vehicles transporting school kids can be avoided if the authorities take steps to employ the traffic rules. As per the guidelines, only experienced vehicle drivers should be allowed to drive vehicles engaged in transporting school kids.

Drivers booked twice for traffic-related offences should not be put on duty and school buses should not exceed the speed limit. It should also be made mandatory to equip vehicles carrying school kids with first aid boxes, fire extinguishers, grills on windows, school bag tray under the seat and provision for water. Besides, a board stating that it is on 'school duty' should be placed while transporting school kids.

In the absence of effectual crackdown by the traffic police on careless drivers, more and more people are entering this lucrative business. The convenience of picking up school kids from their doorstep and high rates has resulted in the mushrooming of private school kids vans. Vehicles with kids sitting on both sides of the driver's seat and bags hung all over and small vans carrying over two-dozen students with bags loaded on top are a normal sight these days. Even reputed schools carry more than the permitted number of children in their buses. Often they have the younger ones sit 3 to a seat, and the older ones sit 2 to a seat. They have a responsibility to think of school kids safety at all times. -Writer (The news)

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Medical education department to be introduced in Punjab colleges
Lahore: Secretary Health Punjab Anwaar Ahmad Khan has said that medical education department would be introduced in all medical colleges of Punjab for improving the teaching skills of faculty members. He was addressing a function arranged by the board of management of Fatima Jinnah Medical College/ Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in honour of Principal FJMC Prof. Dr. Abdul Majeed Ch. on his election as President SAARC Surgical Care Society (SCS) and conferred upon the fellowship of the College of Surgical of Sri Lanka here Saturday.

Anwaar Ahmad Khan said that election of Prof. Majeed Ch. as President SAARC SCS and fellowship of College of Surgeons Sri Lanka is a great honour not only for the FJMC but also for Pakistan and it is an acknowledgement of the services of Prof. Majeed Ch at international level. He said that hard working and highly professional capabilities are the basic requirements to become a role model for others and only dedicated and highly skilled teachers can set an example for their students.

Majeed Ch. said there is a dire need of making reforms in the curriculum of medical colleges and as Chairman National Curriculum Committee he would introduce revolutionary reforms in medical curriculum. He stressed the need for rectifying the deficiencies of examination system and training of medical teachers in teaching methodology. Chairman Board of Management FJMC Chief Justice (R) Mian Mehboob Ahmad also congratulated Prof. Majeed Ch. on his achievement. APP

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ACCA to organise recruitment fair
Islamabad: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Pakistan is organising 'Talent Management and Recruitment Fair' on October 13 in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi respectively.

This career fair is aimed to bring ACCA students and affiliates and ACCA Approved Employers together to explore career and employment opportunities.

The initiative is a reinstatement of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Pakistan's dedication towards benefiting the business by positioning the Accountancy profession at its heart, said a release here.

It is a unique opportunity for ACCA trainees to gain first hand information about recruitment procedures and vacancies through presentation sessions and personalised career advice from premium organisations.

At the same time, it is an ideal opportunity for the employers to meet a large pool of talented potential employees to hand out application forms and conduct interviews on the spot.

Furthermore, this year's Talent Management will be coupled by the launch of the ACCA Pakistan Career Portal developed in partnership with Rozee pk which is an interface between ACCA Approved Employers and ACCA members and trainees, is providing an access to a range of employment opportunities for accountancy professionals and at the same time connecting them with each other.

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SHRDC workshop on Vocational Education
Islamabad: The Saarc Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) is organising a two-day workshop on 'Assessing the Needs of Vocational Education and Skill Development' on October 5 and 6.

Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, will inaugurate the workshop. Participants from the Saarc member states, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will take part in the workshop.

The workshop will emphasise on promoting Vocational Education & Skill Development (VESD). It aims to review VESD situation in Saarc member states and identify priority areas for its development.

Regional and global trends will be analysed to allow for a more comprehensive and integrated perspective. The participants in different working sessions of the workshop will assess the role of Vocational Education & Skill Development in national developments, deliberate on Vocational Education & Skill Development, policies strategies and programmes in South Asia, role of VESD in enhancing employability of the workforce, increasing investment for Vocational Education & Skill Development and developing public private partnership in designing and delivery of Vocational Education & Skill Development.

The workshop will also identify problems faced by the member states due to lack of market-driven skilled manpower, particularly in enhancing productivity and competitiveness to compete in the global market. The participants of the workshop will share global and regional best practices of VESD.

Vocational Education & Skill Development system in South Asian countries has not been strengthened to develop market-driven skill, knowledge and technological support to assist socio-economic growth and facilitate the adoption of technology; promote research and development.

Many South Asian countries lack in preparing appropriate policies and programmes. Low investment in general education and skill development is the main problem.

The number of schoolchildren who receive vocational education is extremely low as compared to the East and Southeast Asian countries,

1.2 per cent in South Asia against 43 percent in the Republic of Korea and 28 percent in Japan.

Training systems in the South Asian economies suffer from limited flexibility, poor curricula and weak links with industry.

Given the capacity of these sectors to provide only limited employment opportunities and the fact that most of the labour force is involved in agriculture and the informal sector, this suggests measures for improving, explains the forceful demand for improving the relevance and effectiveness of national training systems.

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Haj training programme at IIU
Islamabad: A ten-day training programme for the female Haj trainers started here Friday at the Da'wah Centre for Women, International Islamic University (IIU). IIU President Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui inaugurated the course in which 50 female Haj trainers form 26 different localities of the country are taking part. Dr Siddiqui appreciated the role of Dawah Centre for Women and the Da'wah Academy for their useful programmes. He said the trained women would impart required guidance to the women going for Haj and announced that such training programmes would also be organised time and again. The news

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