KARACHI: Technical institutes falling prey to neglect
KARACHI, Sept 12: Public-sector technical education institutes in Sindh, particularly in Karachi, are falling prey to authorities’ neglect as due to non-availability of funds, absence of qualified and trained staff and lack of scientific equipment and laboratories, the number of students in these is declining.
The academicians associated with these institutions fear that if government’s neglect towards technical education persists, students would stop getting enrolled at these institutions for acquiring technical education.
Experts believe that despite tall claims and pledges made by the Sindh education department and the directorate of technical education, these institutions seem to be the most neglected area in the province, especially in the city.
All renowned technical institutes of past in the public sector, including the Government College of Technology (GCT), SITE, Jamia Millia Technical College, Govt Saify Technical College and Jinnah Polytechnic Institute, are in a shambles owing to negligence by the authorities, lack of funds and shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff.
The GCT in SITE is facing acute shortage of laboratories, equipment for conducting practical examinations, besides qualified faculty, thereby failing to maintain the standard of education.
“Currently, the authorities are providing Rs0.5 per student per period of laboratory works for its students, whereas the institution also lacks qualified faculty and non-teaching staff to take lectures and assist students in performing practical work,” a GCT faculty member said.
Despite being disaffiliated by the NED University of Engineering and Technology, for absence of laboratories and qualified faculty, the administration of the GCT, SITE, failed to acquire ample funds to run the institution, although authorities had promised to arrange the same to maintain the standard and quality of education at the college, he added.
“Students and teachers were informed that negotiations were underway with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance construction of labs, maintenance of building and hiring of qualified faculty,” he informed and added that despite passage of more than a year, nothing improved.
The same is the condition of the Govt Polytechnic Institute (GPI), Lyari, once one of the most prestigious of the country’s polytechnics, is also in a very bad shape.
The education department’s works division has also badly failed to maintain the GPI buildings and other infrastructure.
“The college’s buildings have not been painted for the last several years,” a faculty member complained. “And you can find big cracks in almost all the walls of the college. Some of the walls are in danger of collapsing,” he said.
He maintained that because of a ban on the appointment of lecturers, about 20 per cent of the faculty seats were vacant for last five years, adding that there were only about 65 teachers in the institute.
“In the polytechnic and monotechnic institutions only 40 per cent of the course work was supposed to be theoretical. The remaining course was laboratory work,” he added.
Owing to a cash crunch, the education department had cut the funds for the laboratory works at various other technical institutions, including Govt Saify Edizahabi Institute of Technology, Jinnah Polytechnic Institute, Swedish Technical Institute, Landhi, Technical Training Centre, Hyderi and Jamea Millia Polytechnic Institute, Malir.
“The aim of establishing polytechnics has been defeated,” a faculty member of the Jamea Millia Polytechnic Institute, Landhi, said.
“The polytechnics were supposed to impart vocational training and not just theory. These were supposed to prepare the students for shooting troubles in the factories and mills. But because of financial constraints these are failing to do that.”—PPI
