KARACHI, Nov 24: The city government has issued a total of 82 posting orders to “honorary lecturers” for newly established 10 new colleges in the city.

Sources in the government said that the persons, who had volunteered for teaching in colleges without taking any salary or other benefits, had been posted in view of the prevailing shortage of teachers in government colleges.

The posting orders have been issued in two phases while some more postings would be made soon. Earlier, 32 honorary lecturers were posted at some of the 10 colleges. “However, with the latest issuance of letters to qualified persons, two to three teachers will be available at each of the 10 new colleges,” added the source.

The city government made the arrangement for volunteer teachers in view of the grave shortage of teachers at city colleges. Non-availability of teachers had been a source of concern for the students and teaching community, as it was causing deterioration in the academic standards.

The latest intake of 82 volunteers is in addition to the 33 teachers, chosen from selective colleges and assigned to work at the new colleges by the education department of the city government. The posting orders for 33 teachers selected for the new colleges had been withdrawn by City Nazim. However, these teachers were not being sent back to their original place, as it would severe the prevailing academic situation at the new colleges, replied the source to a question.

In the meantime, under the directives of City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, the EDO Higher Education has withdrawn an order pertaining to accommodation of over 300 students who were earlier allowed to take classes at colleges other than those where they had been admitted under the Centralized Admission Policy. Now the students in question, would have to take classes at the colleges where they have been enrolled, said an official source on Monday.

Meanwihle, Sindh Education Minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat claimed that there was no tussle between the education departments of the city and provincial governments, affecting functioning of new intermediate colleges in the city, adds PPI.

According to a handout, the minister said that both the city and Sindh education departments were striving hard for provision of better educational facilities to the people and were cooperating with each other for improving literacy in the city as well as in the province.

However, Mr Marwat said the 10 newly-established city colleges facing scarcity of teaching and non-teaching staff would be provided necessary staff immediately after Eid and recruitments would be made on merit. “Colleges in Karachi are facing shortage of 200 lecturers, which would be overcome by the end of next month”, he added.

“Colleges are indeed facing shortage equipment, staff owing to non-approval of SNEs, but now the government has approved SNEs to resolve these problems,” he said and added that Sindh education department had already advertised the posts of lecturers and written test of candidates would be held on Dec 7, for their recruitment in the city intermediate colleges.

He said that the government was spending billions of rupees to disseminate quality education and to improve the functioning of educational institutions, adding that shortage of teaching staff was surely a problem that would be resolved soon after Eidul Fitr.