ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: The education ministry has submitted a Rs647 million project before the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for upgradation of 377 federal government (FG) institutions on a par with 19 Islamabad model colleges (IMCs).

An official source told Dawn that the project had recently been forwarded by the ministry and it was likely to be taken up in the next meeting of the CDWP.

However, the final approval will be accorded by the new government.

The education minister, Prof (Dr) Attaur Rehman, had ordered to submit the project to adopt a uniform educational system, at least in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The decision was taken after the minister showed displeasure over disparity between the federal government schools and model colleges soon after assuming the office of the education ministry.

The project stated that about 555 seats of teachers were still vacant in the FG institutions, out of which 173 were in boys and 382 in girls institutions. The sanctioned strength of the teachers in these institutions, from primary to the secondary level, is 4,588, but only 4,033 seats have been filled.

About 24 FG schools, out of 105 secondary schools, do not have proper laboratories, and 290 class rooms are still required to accommodate the existing number of students. The students of these institutions are also faced with shortage of basic facilities like drinking water, toilet blocks, perimeter walls, especially in girls schools.

The major constraints being faced by the FG institutions include inadequate educational/professional qualification of teachers compared to that of the model college teachers.

Under the project, the FG school teachers, who have done graduation, will be placed in grade 16, while those with masters degrees in grade 17. As many as 317 junior lady teachers (JLT) and 130 lecturers are working in different FG schools.

The teachers will be inducted through the Federal Public Service Commission as per phased programme. The teachers, who are currently working in different institutions with qualification of only matric, will either be offered golden handshake or sent back to the provinces as per mentioned on their domicile for absorption in provincial educational departments. Whereas, those who have done FSc, FA, BSc or BA will be offered a chance to enhance their qualifications, so that they can compete with JLT. For this purpose, the maximum time they will be given is three years.

It is likely that after the implementation of the new policy, the service cadres of both the FG and model institutions will be merged into a common seniority list as per the general seniority rules.

The ratio of teachers per section at the primary level in the IMCs and FG institutions is 2:1, respectively. However at the college level, the ratio is three in both the institutions.

The project also aims at overcoming the imbalance in the infrastructure of FG schools on priority basis with special emphasis on the construction of laboratories and classrooms.