PESHAWAR, Dec 20: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah said on Friday that neither the privatization of public sector educational institutions nor the creation of boards of governors for them was under consideration.
Presiding over a meeting at Governor’s House, he said no need for such a change had been felt and apprehensions being expressed in this regard were uncalled for.
The participants of the meeting reviewed the Model University Ordinance 2002 and decided to have detailed deliberation on it to remove the apprehensions of the quarters concerned.
They were of the view that the ordinance had positive aspects, especially with regard to bringing a change in the performance of the universities and focusing on making them more autonomous and accountable through their in-built system.
The governor said the document had been prepared after discussions for more than six months wherein views from almost every quarter had been taken into account.
He claimed that the realistic reservations over the ordinance had been accommodated.
He said the higher education sector, especially the universities, had remained neglected for a long period and serious efforts were needed to improve the standard of education.
The governor said that because of lack of proper accountability system , mismanagement and defective administrative system, the working environment in the educational institutions had deteriorated. He said a number of schools and colleges were producing abysmal results but the teachers were not accountable. A clear change had to be brought in this respect, he said.
He mentioned the role of Higher Education Regulatory Authority and examination boards, especially with regard to the monitoring of the functioning of respective educational institutions, and said: “Much has to be done to achieve the real goals.”
Provincial senior minister, Sirajul Haq, Education Minister Maulana Fazale Ali, Chief Secretary Shakil Durrani, Higher Education Secretary Tariq Jamil, Peshawar University Vice-Chancellor Syed Zulfiqar Gilani, Agricultural University VC Syed Mohammad Iqbal Shah and others attended the meeting.