Islamabad: Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, who chairs the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, stressed the importance of timely funding for the HEC’s International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP) on Tuesday. He added that a final decision is expected by the end of December.
To guarantee that the findings are revealed on time, the Chair emphasized the significance of recording the current timetable, which shows that 266 out of 515 candidate reviews have been finished.
The problem of retiring college teachers from FUUAST University Karachi who do not receive their rightful pensions and other benefits was also brought up by Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan at the meeting. The Ministry will offer comprehensive information on the subject, and it was instructed that the topic be covered in detail at the following meeting.
At the Senate meeting on October 18, 2024, Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan brought up the matter of disparaging words about Pashtuns in an O-Level Urdu book, and it was extensively debated. The book has reportedly been banned, and the author has apologized. While language is regulated, content differs by province, according to the Secretary of Education.
Senator Bilal voiced his displeasure with the book’s ongoing accessibility. Senator Bushra, the meeting’s chairperson, urged the publisher and author to attend and underlined the federal government’s responsibility for regulating educational materials.
She pointed out that this kind of material encourages hate speech and harms children, and she suggested that the Ministry of Education ordered all provinces to stop distributing the book. She claimed that her move would alert other authors and publishers to the dangers of publishing such content. In addition, she suggested that the author be held responsible at the following meeting, given an opportunity to explain and apologize.
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Senators Aimal Wali Khan and Hidayatullah Khan’s Calling Attention Notice on the hunger strike by Balochistan University’s teaching and academic staff over unpaid salary was also discussed at the meeting.
Senator Hidayatullah stressed the need to allocate 4% of GDP to education, given the deteriorating state of education in Balochistan.
Reliance on private universities has resulted from inadequate finance for higher education, and weak governance has led to the appointment of Acting Vice-Chancellors, the HEC Chairman said. A permanent VC should be chosen within a certain timeframe, according to Senator Bushra, who also asked for a change in policy to ensure that Acting Vice-Chancellors do not enjoy the same benefits as permanent ones.
This is because universities suffer when they lack stable leadership. Upon the arrival of permanent VCs, she also observed numerous complaints about problems caused by acting VCs.
To address these concerns, she proposed that the next meeting provide a list of universities with appointed VCs, specifying any interim positions and their expected timelines. Senator Bushra emphasized the importance of involving the Planning and Finance Ministries in this serious matter, urging the committee to take a strong stance.
Departments with acting charges, such as the Chairman of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) and the Director General of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), were under the supervision of the Secretary of the Ministry of Education.
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“The FDE was previously under a stay order instead of immediate recruitment, but the process has now been completed and the summary has been sent to the Director General,” he explained. Three requests for an early hearing have been made, and the appointment is anticipated to be finalized according to the legislative decree within two weeks.
The current scenario is a waste of the institution’s time and resources, the chairperson stressed, until a permanent appointment is made. She emphasized that gaps must be found and fixed, and she said that this commitment will be further discussed on November 19, 2024.
The current hiring procedure for both teaching and non-teaching roles was explained to the committee. According to the Secretary, no complaints have made it to the DG’s desk, and no non-teaching staff has been hired. He emphasized that, for the first time in Pakistan, the hiring procedure was handled solely on the basis of merit and included an exam based on Establishment Division criteria.
Senator Bushra advised that the Ministry notify the committee members of the 300 applicants who took the test and that candidates be made aware of the new testing system as well as the recruiting and selection procedure in general.
The HEC Commission was referred to PIMSAT Karachi and NewPort Institute Karachi, while South Asia University Lahore was given till November 19th to submit data; if nothing is done, it will also be referred. Dissatisfied with fraudulent operations at these universities, the committee emphasized that legitimate students should be properly vetted before being allowed to enter the workforce.
Additionally, a group of 137 teachers presented their case. Senator Bushra shared her efforts to resolve issues between two groups—one with exam credentials and another with years of experience—who have now been regularized.
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Due to legal advice, however, representatives of both parties refused to take part in an out-of-court resolution. Finally, Senator Bushra suggested that the group’s representative, Rabia Waheed, write a statement at the next meeting and that any litigation that may be required be handled after that.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), senior officials from the relevant departments, Senators Rahat Jamali, Khalida Ateeb, Manzoor Ahsan, Bilal Ahmed Khan, Haji Hidayatullah Khan, Ashraf Ali Jatoi, and Falak Naz attended the meeting.