KARACHI, July 17: Despite tall claims and pledges by the Sindh Education Department and Directorate of Technical Education, technical education and institutions seem to be the most neglected area in Sindh, especially in Karachi.

All renowned technical institutes of the past, in public sector, including the Government College of Technology (GCT), SITE, Jamea Millia Technical College, Govt Saify Technical College and Jinnah Poly Technic Institute, are in shambles owing to negligence of authorities, lack of funds for equipment and shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff.

The Government College of Technology (GCT) in SITE is facing acute shortage of laboratories, equipment for conducting practical examinations besides qualified faculty, thereby failing to maintain the standard of technical education.

“Currently, the authorities are providing Rs0.5 per student per period of laboratory works to its students, whereas the institution also lacks qualified faculty and non-teaching staff to take lectures and assist students in performing practical works” a GCT faculty member said.

Despite being disaffiliated by the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, for absence of laboratories and qualified faculty, the administration of the GCT, SITE, failed to acquire ample funds to run the institution, although authorities had promised to arrange the same to maintain the standard and quality of education at GCT, he added.

“Students and leftover teachers were informed that negotiations were underway with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance construction of labs, maintenance of building and hiring of qualified faculty”, he informed and added that despite passage of more than a year, nothing improved.

The same is the condition of Govt Polytechnic Institute (GPI), Lyari, - once one of the most prestigious of the country’s polytechnics - is also in a very bad shape.

The education department’s works division has also badly failed to adequately maintain the GPI buildings and other infrastructure.

“The college’s buildings have not been painted for the last several years,” a faculty member said. “And you can find big cracks in almost all the walls of the college. Some of the walls are in danger of falling over.”

He maintained that because of a ban on the appointment of lecturers about 20 per cent of the faculty seats were vacant for the last five years. “The total strength of teachers today stands less than 80 per cent of the total number of faculty members needed. We have only about 65 teachers.”

“In the polytechnic and monotechnic institutions only 40 per cent of the course work was supposed to be theoretical. The remaining course was laboratory work,” he added.

Owing to a cash crunch, the education department has cut the funds for the laboratory works at various other technical institutions including Govt Saify Edizahabi Institute of Technology, Jinnah Polytechnic Institute, Swedish Technical Institute, Landhi, Technical Training Centre, Hyderi and Jamea Millia Polytechnic Institute, Malir.

“The aim of establishing polytechnics has been defeated,” a faculty member of Jamea Millia Polytechnic Institute, Landhi, said.

“The polytechnics were supposed to impart vocational training not just theory. These were supposed to prepare the students for shooting troubles in the factories and mills. But because of financial constraints these are failing to do that.”

He said in the recent past, the chair for head of these institutions had become a rotating one. “A couple of principals had tenures of six months or less. Frequent changes at the top can never be good for an institution.”

During a visit to GPI, Lyari, it transpired that the central library of the college, built about four years ago, was in dilapidated condition, with its walls showing big cracks. The staircase leading up to the book bank was also in danger of toppling over. The college gymnasium reflected the administration’s neglect, not the students’ athletic abilities. The gymnasium’s roof and walls were also in bad shape. The structure was being used for parking old vehicles.

The road leading to the college was full of potholes. “This road was built in the 50s and repaired in the 70s. After that it was never repaired. That’s why it’s in such a bad shape,” an official said.

The institute’s administration was given a one-year notice to improve its teaching standards, lab facilities and for acquiring qualified faculty, but owing to lack of funds, the conditions could not be improved.—PPI