ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture on Wednesday formed a subcommittee to monitor performance of Islamabad-based schools and colleges.

The committee, which met with Dr Azimuddin Zahid Lakhvi in the chair, discussed various agenda items, including education facilities in capital’s educational institutions.

After getting briefing from the education ministry and after noticing concerns of MNA Khurram Nawaz, who had been stating that schools in rural areas lacked basic facilities, the committee formed a subcommittee to monitor performance of schools in rural areas.

He had also showed the committee members some photographs, which depicted poor state of affairs in rural area schools.

Another MNA from Islamabad Anjum Aqeel Khan told the committee that the education ministry had been stating that it had provided a number of new facilities in schools and colleges including free food, therefore, there was need to form a committee for physical inspection.

“The committee appointed the subcommittee consisting of four members to monitor the current status and performance of schools and degree colleges in Islamabad urban-rural areas and submit its recommendations,” read an official statement issued by NA Secretariat after the meeting.

The subcommittee will be consisted of MNAs Abdul Aleem Khan, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Anjum Aqeel and Farah Naz.

Earlier, while discussing technical education, the committee members showed concerns regarding the treatment and opportunities available to Pakistani workers abroad.

The committee highlighted that Pakistani expatriates often faced subpar working conditions, lower wages and fewer opportunities compared to their counterparts in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

This situation has resulted in lower remittance inflows, which the committee urges should be addressed to enhance remittance levels to Pakistan.

Furthermore, the committee members expressed reservations over the alignment between vocational training programmes and actual job market integration. The committee also stressed the need for NAVTTC to optimise its resource utilisation, ensuring that the budget allocated is effectively used and that the outcomes achieved are commensurate with the financial investments.

Earlier, Executive Director of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) delivered a detailed introductory briefing to the committee.

The committee was told that that since its inception in 2006, NAVTTC has successfully trained over 600,000 individuals, a testament to its extensive reach and impact.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2024