Senate Standing Committee on Education on Friday demanded immediate appointment of Federal Minister for Education so that the issues concerning the sector could be resolved. The committee which met at the Parliament House with Senator Mrs Razina Alam Khan in the chair also urged the government to accord priority to providing better training to teachers and to undertake constant periodic review of the curriculum in order to keep pace with the developments being made in rest of the world.
While endorsing the plea for merit-based recruitment of teachers, the committee called for enhancement of their salary structure and social status. Merit-based recruitment of teachers must be ensured and ways and means be explored to find dedicated teachers as 'only inspired teachers could produce inspired students'. It directed the Federal Ministry of Education to accord the highest priority to training of teachers at all levels.
The committee took strong exception to political interference in the recruitment/appointment and postings and transfers of teachers particularly in the provinces and remote areas. It called for an immediate end to this unhealthy practice, which is undermining the cause of education in the country.
The committee also asked the Federal Ministry of Education to prepare the new draft education policy in a manner that it must address the core national problems. It said that our education system must be value-oriented. Its purpose should be enlightenment of hearts and minds.
A number of members of the committee expressed reservations on the new system of starting the education year from September every year, apprehending that the new system may provide very short time to students to complete their courses of study. The committee hoped that the issue of appointment of the new DG, FDE would be resolved amicably and only the best and most suitable candidate be offered the slot.
Earlier, the Secretary Education apprised the committee of the broad contours of the teachers training programme being launched by the Ministry of Education in the Federal capital and various provinces. He said that the project seeks to support the vision of the Government of Pakistan ie strengthening professional development of teachers and designing of National Standards for Teachers Certification and Accreditation. The project strives for the enhancement of the government capacity to assure quality teacher education by improving policy framework, coordination and standard-setting in order to bring about long term challenges.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Senators Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Mrs Rehana Yahya Baloch, Syed Javed Ali Shah, Dr Muhammad Said, Liaquat Ali Bangulzai and Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan besides the Secretary Education and senior officials of the ministry.
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