ISLAMABAD: Due to increase in temperature, a parliamentary panel on Wednesday urged the Ministry of Federal Education to issue a notification asking schools to observe summer vacation in Islamabad’s educational institutions from July 1 instead of July 18.

Members of the Senate Standing Committee on Education, which met here with Senator Irfanul Haque Siddiqui, said it was strange that Punjab was observing summer vacation from July 1 while in Islamabad the holidays would start from July 18.

He said the education ministry should take steps to ensure summer break is observed from July 1 in the capital as well. Committee members directed the ministry and Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) to review their decision of observing summer vacation from July 18.

Ministry officials assured the committee that they would look into recommendations of the committee in this regard. It is relevant to note here that the other day, FDE which oversees affairs of 423 public-sector educational institutions, issued a notification stating that summer vacation in schools will be observed from July 18 to Aug 1.

On the other hand, Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) has not issued any notification in this regard so far; many private schools are still open including those for young children.

The committee members also observed that there is a similarity in functioning of some departments of the education ministry. A three-member committee was formed to review the performance all departments, identify funds that they had received and make recommendations to merge departments in order to save funds and human resource.

Members expressed concern over performance of the higher education sector of the country and directed Higher Education Commission (HEC) to submit details of funds it has been spending on universities. The committee chairman also expressed concern over promulgation of the presidential ordinance to remove HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri and said that the ordinance was issued to remove a single person.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed raised his voice against HEC’s decision of allowing admission in PhD programmes on the basis of 16 years of education instead of 18.

This issue was earlier raised by Senator Ahmed during a Senate session in May and the Senate had referred it to the committee for debate. He said that reduction of two years will affect the quality of research.

Earlier, secretary, Ministry of Education told the committee that the Single National Curriculum (SNC) will be introduced at the primary level in the upcoming academic session. Committee members agreed that debate should also be held in connection with the SNC in the parliament.

The committee also expressed concern over exorbitant fee being charged by some private schools and discussed ways to regulate the fee being charged by private schools. The committee sought a report from the education ministry and Peira in this regard for the next meeting.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2021