KARACHI, Feb 23: Despite a lapse of about eight months, the Sindh Education department has failed to complete the process of appointing 752 ad-hoc lecturers for various colleges in the province.

Describing the pace of work of recruitment as very slow, sources privy to the process said that posting of lecturers would ultimately suffer and that it was unlikely to begin before commencement of the new academic session.

With the approval by chief minister, the Education department had invited applications in the mid of 2003 from male and female candidates for the job on a three-year contract. Subsequently, 16,500 candidates offered their services. The applications were submitted in two phases.

The move to appoint lecturers on emergency basis was aimed at meeting the acute shortage at colleges in the entire province immediately. Keeping in view the urgency, the prescribed procedure, i.e. appointments through the Sindh Public Service Commission, was also set aside, a source pointed out.

The selection and appointment process involves a written test and interview and a successful candidate is offered a full package of salary and perks equivalent to that of a lecturer employed on permanent basis.

In view of the prevailing situation, sources observed that the relevant authorities seemed not ready to expedite the procedure despite the fact that teaching of intermediate classes at the college already running short of teachers was nearing to an end.

The annual HSC examination for college students are scheduled to commence on April 20 and, as such, students would be sent on preparatory leave in March.

The department has so far conducted written test, on December 14, at three different centres. As many as 13,678 candidates appeared in written test and 3,400 of them were declared passed.

Giving results of test on January 30, Education minister had announced that the successful candidates would be interviewed by special committees, each comprising additional secretary of Education, one subject specialist and one person from the Sindh Public Service Commission. He had further stated that the interview process would begin on February 23 and be completed within a month time.

However, there are no signs of such interviews as the candidates have not yet been issued even call letters by the department. According to the plan, the interviews are to be held at Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.

A source in the department said that officials were negotiating with the SPSC authorities for the nomination of the Commission's representatives to the interview committees, who would be heading their respective committee.

It is further learnt that the Education department was not ready to spare all its additional secretaries at a time for the interview committees. The department was moving the high-ups to review their nomination to the committee.

Another sources in the department said that as soon as the committees were constituted, probably shortly, the candidates would be called for interviews. If the things went in the right direction, it would take another six to 10 weeks for the department to complete the interview process and prepare a list of selected candidates. Medical test and other formalities would take another month, according to the source.