Senior Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa has said that Punjab government will consider proposals of the teachers' representative organisations for improving the proposed Board of Governors of the 26 government colleges.
Showing an olive branch to the protesting teachers here on Sunday, Khosa held a meeting with an 18-member delegation consisting of representatives of students and office bearers of representative organisations of Punjab Professors & Lecturers Association (PPLA), Academic Staff Association and Subject Specialist Association. Inamullah Khan Niazi and Secretary Higher Education were also present on this occasion. The delegation included president PPLA Dr Zahid Sheikh, Syed Tanvir Shah, Zahid Niazi, Ishaq Goraya, Riaz Mehmood, Aamina Manto, Hafiz Abdul Nasir, Zaheer-ud-Din Babar, Dr Mehr Saeed Akhtar and other office bearers.
Punjab government is taking practical steps for improving education system and providing best facilities to the teachers and students. Thousands of students are getting scholarships out of Endowment Funds of Rs 6 billion and are completing their studies, he added. He said the government will consider the proposals of representative organisations of the teachers for improving the proposed Board of Governors and the best and practicable suggestions will definitely be implemented.
He said neither any vindictive action will be taken against anyone nor services of any teacher will be terminated. He assured that fees will not be increased due to establishment of Board of Governors and the Punjab government will bear additional expenses. He further assured the teachers that the recommendations would be made for cancellation of the transfers of the teachers made during recent protest. However, postings and transfers is a routine matter according to rules on administrative grounds, he added.
Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa said that there is a dire need of changing 150 years old obsolete educational system for harmonising it with the demands of present era and government will consider the proposals of representative organisations of the teachers.
He said that Punjab government is utilising all available resources for the improvement of education system and education is on the top of its agenda. He asked the teachers to improve their performance.
He said that strict action will be taken against the teachers remaining absent from the educational institutions and teaching the students privately during working hours. The Muslim League government has resolved the problems of the teachers and the students during its every tenure and the present government had no objection to the recent protest of the teachers but the method of the protest and the attitude of the teachers were not civilised.