ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training was informed on Tuesday that services of 137 college teachers of the capital, whose regularisation was pending for years, have been regularised.

The Senate panel was headed by Senator Bushra Anjum, which took up regularisation issues of college teachers besides other agenda items.

The committee was informed by the education ministry officials that services of the said teachers have been regularised and a notification was issued on Monday.

The committee members said following tireless efforts and continuous day-to-day hearings by the committee, the said teachers had been successfully reinstated, as their notification of regularisation was issued last year, but it was halted by education ministry later on.

The committee chairperson, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, emphasised that the committee’s primary objective was to facilitate deserving individuals, particularly youth, in overcoming challenges in their educational journey.

Committee chairperson suggests mental health education be incorporated in national curriculum

She said the matter had been stalled for years and only gained momentum during the last six months due to the committee’s persistent efforts and daily hearings.

It is relevant to note here that over 500 college teachers in the Federal Directorate Education-runs colleges had been serving for years as daily wage employees. Out of them, 231 were regularised through the Federal Public Service Commission, 137 were regularised by the ministry while cases of around 150 such college teachers were still pending. Similarly, cases of around 1,000 school teachers, who had been serving in the FDE-run schools for years, have yet not been decided.

“Let me appreciate the standing committee for its efforts in the regularisation of 137 college teachers; we will request the committee to look into our issues, as we have been serving as daily wage teachers for the last over one decade,” a daily wage school teacher told Dawn.

Meanwhile, the committee also discussed Private Members Bill on curriculum moved by Senator Quratul Ain Marri. A subcommittee was formed led by senators Kamran Murtaza, Khalida Ateeb and Quratul Ain Marri, to review the Federal Supervision of Curricula, Textbooks, and Maintenance of Standards of Education (Amendment) Bill 2024.

The bill will undergo further scrutiny, with special attention given to the viewpoints of the Islamic Council of Ideology on whether reproductive health should be included in the curricula.

The committee chairperson also advocated for mental health education to be incorporated into the national curriculum, highlighting the importance of addressing issues like depression, anxiety and demotivation among youth. Additionally, she emphasised the need for comprehensive education on reproductive health as presented in the bill.

Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan had raised a point of public importance concerning derogatory remarks about Pakhtuns in O level textbooks in the Senate and the matter was subsequently referred to this standing committee.

The committee took action, securing a formal apology from the author. It was told that all copies of the offending textbooks were confiscated, and an official notification was issued to remove them from the market. The books will be reprinted and republished without errors.

The committee was also briefed by the CEO of Pakistan Education Endowment Fund (PEEF), formerly known as NEST, regarding the organisation’s performance and the status of scholarships offered to students.

Senator Butt emphasised the need for an official audit report to ensure there had been no fraudulent activity. She also stressed the importance of appointing a permanent CEO to ensure that the organisation operates effectively and efficiently.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024