ISLAMABAD, April 9: The education ministry is working on a project to introduce a uniform service structure for teachers throughout the country.

This was stated by Federal Education Minister Zobaida Jalal while speaking as chief guest at the book launching ceremony organized by Daira Islamabad.

The book 'Higher Education in Pakistan; A Historical and Futuristic Perspective', is co-authored by Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) vice-chancellor Dr UAG Isani and educationist Dr M.A. Latif Virk. She said the federal education ministry had already asked the provincial education ministries to come up with provisions to improve grades of teachers.

Under the proposed project, teachers, whether of a primary school or university, would be able to get promotion up to grade 22, she added. During her remarks, she accepted that under the existing service structure which the government offered to teachers, teaching as a profession was considered the last resort by graduating students.

"This is a fact, teachers are not given due respect both in terms of salary and in the society, as education had not been the priority of successive governments," she said.

Talking to media persons at the end of the ceremony, Ms Jalal categorically denied the accusations that the government was under American pressure to delete Quranic verses from the curricula. The curriculum revision has been on the course much before 9/11, therefore, there was no truth in the speculations that the education ministry was following the US lines as part of its war against terrorism, she said.

In response to a question, the minister said there was massive repetition of certain topics regarding ideology of Pakistan in every class that was being reviewed. About the book, she said it was the right initiative at the right time in pointing out flaws which the country's higher education system had.

Over the last 50 years, education, especially higher education, has never been the priority of governments. However, with the increasing of education budget from 2.1 per cent of the GDP to 3 per cent this sector has been put on the right course, she said.

Ms Jalal congratulated Dr Isani and Dr Virk for accepting the task of highlighting the problems faced by the higher education sector since 1947. Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro underlined the need to increase teachers' salaries.

Referring to the book, he said throughout his career Dr Isani had been committed to the cause of education. Dr Isani, be as federal education secretary or QAU vice-chancellor, had been busy in various endeavours for the promotion of higher education in Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Isani said the country's position could only be strengthened among the comity of nations if the standard of higher education was improved. "In this knowledge-based era, Pakistan having a youthful population can achieve tremendous success by investing in the education sector," he added.

Dr Virk, in his remarks, said every point that had been highlighted in the book was adequately substantiated with hard facts. He said the book presented a critical view of the country's education policies which had been introduced since its independence.

Senator Mushahid Hussain, Dr Shireen Mazari, Dr Riaz and Dr Haider Sindhi also spoke on the occasion. As per the tradition of Daira Islamabad, the book is presented to one of the guests and Dr Dushka Haider Syed, the chairperson of history department, QAU, was presented the book.