KARACHI, June 19: The Federal Education Minister, Zobaida Jalal along with Federal Secretary Education Sajid Hassan on Saturday visited Dawood College of Engineering and Technology (DCET) to review the steps taken for improvement of teaching activities , labs and faculty at the college.

Higher officials of Federal Education Ministry, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Higher Education Commission (HEC), Sindh Education Department and Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro also accompanied her.

According to principal of DCET Saleem Chaudhry, the college administration gave a detailed presentation to the federal education minister about steps being taken by the college's administration for making the college acceptable to PEC for accreditation.

He said it was decided at a discussion, after the presentation, that the college would remain under the Federal Education Ministry's control and efforts would be made to transform it into a degree-awarding institution.

"A steering committee has also been formed, headed by Zobaida Jalal to streamline DCET's affairs," he said, adding that representatives of PEC, HEC, Ministry of Education, Mehran Engineering University and DCET principal would be its members.

He said PEC representatives were delighted to see improvement of labs, equipment, teaching and academic activities at the college, and assured that another PEC team would soon visit the college to ascertain whether it could be accredited or not.

Those who visited the college along with Federal Education Minister Zobaida Jalal included Federal Secretary Education Sajid Hassan, Sindh Secretary Education Ghulam Ali Shah Pasha, Joint Secretary Administration of Ministry of Education Sarfraz Ahmed Syed, Engr Maj-Gen (Retd) Aga Manzoor Rauf from PEC, Federal Joint Secretary Education Rashida Baloch, Muhammad Hanif Senior Research officer Ministry of Education, Dr Suhail S Naqvi Advisor HEC and VC, Mehran Engineering University Abdul Qadeer Khan Rajput.

Sources at DCET claimed the visiting delegation, especially Zobaida Jalal, also discussed giving the college under administrative control of Sindh Education Department, and Sindh Secretary Education was asked to prepare a detailed report in this regard.

However, most senior education officials opposed the idea; and advocated improvement in the teaching and academic activities at DCET, and transforming it into a degree-awarding institution.

Some members also expressed disappointment over the pace of improvement in labs, provision of scientific equipment, college buildings occupied by Rangers and the presence of many student groups, and directed the principal to take steps in this regard, sources added.

Meanwhile, students and employees of DCET were not allowed to meet Federal Education Minister Zobaida Jalal to apprise her of their problems amid the presence of a large number of Rangers and police personnel.-PPI