LAHORE, July 21: The University of Education’s plan to set up its main campus in Okara has been rejected by the education department, it is learnt. The varsity had plans to open its main campus at the Government Kalsoom High School, Okara. Later, the campus was to be built on the land already acquired for the purpose. The varsity was to be shifted there after the completion of the building.

Official sources told Dawn on Thursday that the education department had found the plan not viable, and directed the university to open the main campus in Lahore. It also asked the varsity to develop the Okara site as a sub-campus, they said.

The decision is a fresh setback for the UE which has been operating in a rented building in Model Town for a year or so.

It is not clear whether the enrolment in BEd, MEd, MSc and MSc in mathematics, chemistry and biology and diploma in performing arts and media studies which were scheduled to begin at the Okara campus in September will now go according to the schedule.

The UE’s 35 elementary constituent colleges have already been repatriated to the education department. The colleges were repatriated reportedly because of the varsity’s failure in developing a comprehensive mechanism for in-service teachers training.

The Directorate of Staff Development, the Provincial Institute of Teachers Education, and the Provincial Education Assessment Centre have also been separated from the varsity.

It now has the administrative control of the Government Education College for Boys (Lower Mall), Lahore; the Government Education College for Girls (Bank Road), Lahore; the Government Science Education College, Township, Lahore; the Government Education College, Faisalabad; the Government Education College, Multan; and the Government Education College, Dera Ghazi Khan.

It is learnt that the six constituent colleges also want to be freed from its administrative control. Some of their teachers claimed that since these colleges had been given under the UE’s control in September, 2002, the fee had increased manifold and the colleges were facing staff shortage while ill-planned courses were burdensome for students as they could not cover them in time.

Besides, some 200 PhDs enrolled with the varsity had been asked by the administration to find their supervisors on their own and arrange the practical work in the laboratories of other educational institutions or government departments, they said.

They complained that the teachers who got promotion were usually denied the salary package of new scale by the administration.

UE vice-chancellor Dr Mustafa Habibullah said it was the government decision not to allow setting up of the main campus in Okara. He also refuted the teachers’ allegation regarding fee increase and other matters.

PhD: The UE’s board of advance study and research has approved the synopsis to 67 candidates to start research work for PhDs on their respective topics.