ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education, Professional Training, National Heritage, and Culture held its 8th meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Azim Uddin Zahid Lakhvi at the Project Coordination Unit (PCU), Islamabad.
During the meeting, the committee deferred the consideration of three legislative proposals to the next session, including The Reservation of Special Seats for Deserving Persons in Universities Bill, 2024, The Westminster University of Emerging Sciences and Technology Bill, 2024, and The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
However, the committee recommended the Ghurki Institute of Science and Technology Bill, 2024 for approval.
The agenda item regarding the expulsion of workers from NFC Institute, Multan, was also postponed for the next meeting.
The committee expressed concern over the plight of daily wage teachers in Islamabad colleges, who have been serving for over a decade with a salary of Rs37,000 per month.
While some teachers have been regularised, many have not yet received their posting orders even after a year.
The committee emphasised that the regularisation process must be transparent and inclusive, ensuring that no selective implementation occurs.
The Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) was directed to ensure that private schools do not charge parents beyond the prescribed fee or impose additional costs for functions, uniforms, or other activities.
The committee also stressed the need to standardise teacher salaries according to their qualifications and experience.
Concerns were raised regarding the safety of children using school transport services, unregulated fee structures, and the operation of single-room private schools.
The committee urged PEIRA to take immediate action to implement uniform curriculum guidelines and stricter regulations across all private educational institutions.
PEIRA reported that 1,509 private educational institutions are currently registered in 2025, with a total enrollment of 392,279 students, including 45 percent girls and 55 percent boys. To address public grievances, PEIRA has established a dedicated Complaints Cell that processes complaints received through surface mail, email, in-person visits, and the Pakistan Citizen Portal (PMDU). Over 8,000 complaints have been successfully resolved so far.
The committee was briefed on the Actions to Strengthen Performance for Inclusive and Responsive Education (ASPIRE) programme, which aims to improve education in underprivileged districts. The Federal Government has allocated PKR 24 billion in financial grants to provincial governments to support education reforms. The USD 200 million ASPIRE programme is set to conclude in June 2025, with a three-year funding commitment secured.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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