“Currently, terms of references for provincial directorate of colleges are being prepared and in the new system, college principals will have more powers to run their institutes in a better manner,” he told newsmen during an informal press briefing at Govt D.J. Science College, Karachi.

Govt DJ Science College Principal Prof Ravi Shankar was also present on the occasion.

Dr Mohammad A. Shaikh said that civil-society representatives would be urged to cooperate with authorities in running the affairs of colleges. “We are planning to constitute management committees for colleges, comprising local educationists and civil-society representatives to assist authorities in running their affairs smoothly,” he said adding that after activation of his office, these committees will be officially notified.

According to him, five Regional Education Managers in BPS-19 would be appointed in Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas who would be supervised by the Provincial Education Manager to manage the affairs of colleges. He said that terms of reference for the PEM and REMs were being prepared in consultation with him and he was trying to make principals of the colleges more powerful so that they could take timely decisions on the basis of their requirements.Regarding the end of political intervention in college affairs and elimination of corruption, he said only media and civil society could play an effective role in improving the affairs of education department and bring transparency in its affairs.

Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh said that City Nazim Mustafa Kamal had given approval to the Centralised Admission Policy for admissions to Class XI in the colleges for the year 2006-07 and the committee would start working from June 17.

“There is no change in CAP policy for this year. There are 18 of its members besides five ex-officio members from the office of EDO Higher Education Karachi. This time, I have included two lecturers in place of professors as young people can do the hard-work more efficiently,” he said.—PPI