ISLAMABAD, July 29: Economic progress of developing nations lay in their abilities and capacities to transform knowledge into good quality education.

This was stated by the Education Minister Zobaida Jalal on Monday at the award distributing ceremony of the Best University Teacher Award 2001 here at the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The minister said lack of proper incentives, facilities and recognition of teacher’s contribution were responsible for the decline in higher education and attraction for teaching profession in Pakistan.

As many as 33 teachers from public universities and degree awarding institutions were honoured by giving awards comprising certificate and cash prizes of Rs40,000 each.

The minister said it was true that the strength of graduate study programmes and quality of research was determined by the quality of the teacher as he/she was the central figure in the entire learning process.

She was of the view that professional efficiency of the teacher should be improved so that a teacher could stand up to the challenges both at the national and international levels. “On our part we have to recognize their contributions in the development of higher education,” she said.

Ms Jalal said teachers are encouraged with awards and boosts their morale. This, in turn would aid in the dissemination of quality education, which was one of the thrust areas of education sector reforms (ESR).

There was little hope of advancement in the quality of education unless the teachers were committed to their profession.

Realizing the situation, Ms Jalal said the education ministry had taken an initiative by introducing the long desired system of rewards incentives for university teachers through a process of evaluation of their contribution in the respective fields.

“It will no doubt provide an incentive for enhanced participation in the development of higher education and research and attract best of the society’s brains to this noble profession.

She said the need was to improve the capabilities of universities. For this the professional skills of teachers must be improved to enable the higher education system produce manpower of accepted quality.

Dr A Q Mughal, chairman UGC said the government wanted to uphold the dignity of teachers to improve the quality of education. This could only be done when the position and role of the teacher was recognized and strengthened.

He said a scheme for awarding 300 scholarships in social sciences had been approved by the central development working party (CDW) for public sector universities and degree awarding institutions to attract teachers in social sciences.

The minister distributed awards among Dr Fazal-i-Aleem, centre for High Energy Physics University of Punjab, Dr Mohammad Akram Chaudhry, Faculty of Islamic and Oriental Learning, University of Punjab, Dr Mohammad Saleh Memon, Institute of Bio- Chemistry University of Sindh, Dr S M Saifullah, Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Dr Nisar Ahmad, Dean Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, Dr Saleem Asghar, Department of Mathematics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Dr Masoom Yasinzai, department of Bio-Chemistry University of Balochistan, Dr Mohammad Qasim Khan, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University.