THE six autonomous colleges of Lahore and Gujranwala, affiliated with the Punjab University for BS (Honours) programme, have joined hands to develop a strategy to resolve issues that are hindering programme’s acceptance at a mass level.

Even after the passage of two years, the colleges are neither able to follow the Punjab University academic calendar nor are they ready to accept preparation of question-papers by the university in ‘isolation’. The college teachers and students are also confused about the course outlines.

In order to develop a joint strategy to resolve these issues, Government MAO College Principal Prof Dr Farhan Ebadat Yar Khan took an initiative and asked respective colleges’ BS (Honours) programme coordinators and subject teachers to hold a joint meeting at the MAO College and formulate recommendations to be presented to the PU officials concerned.

Except the principal and teachers of the Government Islamia College, Civil Lines, all others attended a consultative meeting this past week. The meeting decided that the autonomous colleges would follow the PU academic calendar in letter and spirit so that they could also have break for summer vacation.

Early this year, the colleges had remained open during the summer vacation.

The meeting of about 200 teachers of the Government MAO College; the Government Science College, Wahdat Road; the Queen Mary College, Lahore; the Government College for Boys, Satellite Town, Gujranwala; and the Government College for Girls, Satellite Town, Gujranwala decided that they would prepare a set of three question-papers for each subject and forward it to the university for selecting one paper or developing a new question-paper using all the three.

The delegation led by Prof Khan is meeting the PU BS (Honours) committee officials on Monday (today).

As for the faculty shortage issue, Prof Khan said all principals had forwarded their cases to the Punjab Higher Education Department and it’s hoped that the faculty strength would soon be completed.

About making the boards of governors functional in autonomous colleges, he said the principals were not in picture and the higher education department was working on this subject. However, he said, Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association President Dr Zahid Sheikh had tried to come to the MAO College meeting but he was asked to stay away.

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THE Social Enterprise Development Centre (SEDC) at LUMS and Citi Foundation are collaborating on a capacity-building project to identify ways in which the relevance of education being imparted at educational institutions is enhanced to enable them to develop young people having more positive socioeconomic impact especially in terms of increased earning potential.

In order to share data collected from 19 public and private universities that how they are linked with the industry and community, the SEDC and Citi Foundation recently organised a two-day workshop “Making higher education more relevant for the industry and community.”

The participants analysed and corroborated the role of universities in socioeconomic development through enhancing employability of their graduates. The workshop specifically explored the role of industry-community in the governance of academic institutions to indicate what type of input was informing the strategic decisions of these institutions.

It also explored the involvement of industry and community in the designing of various programmes and their curriculum; role of industry and community in enhancing teaching and learning processes at these institutions; and the manner in which the industry and community was contributing towards the mentoring, career guidance and job placement processes of the students at these institutions.

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PAKISTAN has almost 60 per cent of population under 30 years of age but with very few opportunities for education and employment. There is always a need to impart vocational skills to the youth particularly girls so that they can work from their homes, contribute to economy and uplift their economic and social conditions.

In order to revitalise the lives of such girls, Idara-i-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) Public Trust, Unilever, the Punjab Schools Education Department, Tevta and Bahawalpur district government have entered into partnerships and corporate social responsibility (CSR) for skill development and livelihood of 15-30 years old youth.

The ITA is running four different youth skill development programmes including Guddi Bajji – an initiative to develop certified beauticians who could set up home-based enterprises as well as retail beauty and skin products in rural areas to alleviate their and their families’ poverty.

In the long run, such girls would also be instrumental in creating opportunities for their families to be educated and become more equipped to improve inter-generational wellbeing.

More than 15,000 graduates, who were part of different courses and instrumental in bringing about small revolution in south Punjab, received their certificates at the hall of the Craft Bazaar in Bahawalpur. Three of the proud girls had also shared their success stories of empowerment.

ITA Director Programmes Baela Raza Jamil says the technical, vocational and livelihood programmes have been conceived in an ingenious manner targeting 80 per cent girls in rural areas. The girls are being imparted three-month certified training programmes through Tevta at government high and higher secondary schools.

She said the courses at public schools got immediate response because they were seen as protected dignified places for young women and men.

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THE Punjab School, Johar Town branch organised an Art and Craft exhibition on its campus this past week. More than 1,000 objects made by students were displayed in an aesthetic manner.

A large number of parents, who were accompanying their children for parent-teacher meeting, saw the exhibition.

An art teacher, Naveeda told Dawn that the school’s art department inspired students to make use of their aesthetics and prepare different objects using waste items like baskets and shoe-boxes.

“All students’ works are in mix media that include oil and water paintings, handwork, candle-making, paper pots, pot-painting and Islamic objects,” she said. – mansoormalik173@hotmail.com