KARACHI: Provincial govts may take control of colleges
KARACHI, May 1: Federal Education Minister Lt General (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi on Saturday said that the federal government was considering giving all government-run colleges and other educational institutes under the control of provincial governments.
He said this during a meeting with Sindh Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro at her office.
The minister expressed his dissatisfaction over the district governments running the affairs of colleges.
“Government-run primary and secondary schools will remain in the administrative control of district governments,” he said.
Mr Qazi further assured all out support on behalf of the federal government to the Sindh education department for restructuring of technical education and uplift of primary and secondary education in the province.
He appreciated Sindh education minister’s efforts for improvement of educational system in the province and stressed for paying special attention towards teaching of English, Mathematics and sciences subjects.
The minister assured that the federal government would provide required funds to the Sindh government for establishing new primary schools especially in the rural areas. Funds would also be given for the establishment of technical educational institutes, he added.
He informed Dr Khuhro that a proposal to provide funds to the provincial governments for establishing technical educational institutes was in final stages, adding that affairs of such technical institutes would also be run by the provincial governments.
“Provincial governments will be at liberty to decide venues where these technical institutions would be established and skills and trades to be taught at these institutions” he said.
The minister deplored that the district governments failed to look after college education and its standard was declining.
The federal education minister asked Dr Khuhro to present him a detailed report on change in academic calendar in Sindh before inter-provincial education ministers’ conference so that academic calendars of all the provinces were dovetailed.
He informed the education minister a curriculum council was being set up to update the syllabus and informed that recommendations of that council would be sent to provinces and they would be taken into confidence before any decision in this regard.
Earlier, Dr Khuhro apprised the federal education minister of the deteriorating standards of education in the province and efforts being made by the provincial government for enrolment of over 50 per cent out of school children, tackling dropout ratio of students after primary and secondary levels besides improvement of technical education.
Dr Khuhro urged the federal government to provide more funds for establishment of more primary schools in rural areas and devising a system for monitoring teachers’ irregularities.
She also presented a plan for re-structuring of technical and vocational education in Sindh to the federal minister.
During the meeting, both the federal and provincial ministers discussed issues of allowing Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKUEB) to affiliate schools and colleges besides registration of religious seminaries.
Meanwhile, the federal minister called on Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, here on Saturday.
At the meeting which took place at the chief minister house, matters pertaining to the promotion of education were discussed in detail. Cooperation on part of the federal government in the realms of education as well as educational requirements of Sindh was also discussed.
Mr Qazi assured that the federal government would fulfil the educational needs of Sindh.
