ISLAMABAD: The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has notified transfer and posting of new heads of several colleges but four of them were appointed while allegedly ignoring seniority.

The appointments in four colleges have apparently created disquiet among the teaching community of federal government colleges.

Some teachers said posting of principals of Islamabad Model Postgraduate College (H-8), Islamabad Model Postgraduate Commerce College, H-8/4, Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) Humak and IMCG I-14 have been made ignoring seniority.

However, FDE spokesperson Saqib Shahab defended the posting of the principals, saying the posting was made on the basis of interviews and keeping in view the administrative potential of the candidates.

“Seniority should not be a criterion for appointing anyone as head of colleges, rather administrative exposure should be kept in view,” he said.

On the other hand, sources said Sadia Muzaffar, an associate professor of Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) F-7/4, who at serial No 7 on the seniority list of associate professors, has been appointed as the principal of IMCG Humak.

IMCG I-14/3 Principal Shabana Tabassum, who is at serial No 2 on the seniority list of associate professors, has been replaced by Associate Professor Shazia Wazir who is on serial No 8.

Among the male associate professors, two of Islamabad Model College for Boys (IMCB) H-9, Atharul Islam and Zahoor Ahmed, who are at serial No 4 and 6 on the seniority list, have been appointed principals of the city’s main colleges while ignoring senior educators and managers.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Zahoor Ahmed has been appointed the principal of Islamabad Model Postgraduate College of Commerce (IMPCC) H-8/4 while Atharul Islam has been made Islamabad Model Postgraduate College (IMPC) H-8 principal. He will join the post after retirement of Prof Qasim Masood in January 2021.

Some teachers said two senior associate professors, Dr Mohammad Khalid and Mohammad Naeem Dar, at serial No 1 and 2 on the seniority list are principals of small colleges where there is a limited number of intake of students and least management challenges. The teachers said being seniors, they should have been given the charge of these two major postgraduate colleges located in H-8, and juniors should be placed in small colleges.

The college teachers expressed their concern over the recent appointment of the heads of colleges.

The FDE spokesperson said new postings were made purely on merit and on the basis of their interviews. A panel of FDE headed by the director general conducted the interviews, he said.

Against each post, three teachers were interviewed and best of them were picked as the principal, he said and added that the postings were made on the basis of experience and exposure of the candidates not on the basis of mere seniority.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2020