ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Wednesday deplored the delay in release of salaries of college teachers, who had been regularised in October last year.

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, which met on Wednesday with Senator Bushra Anjum Butt in the chair, took up the issue of college teachers, who were regularised through a notification issued on Oct 27 last year.

Discussing the implementation of the notification regarding regularisation of 137 lecturers by the education ministry, the committee provided an opportunity to all stakeholders, including teachers’ representatives, to present their cases.

Following a detailed review in the meeting, it was determined that the Oct 27 notification for employees’ regularisation and reinstatement was valid and should have been fully implemented.

Takes up issue of unregistered universities; examines Punjab varsity’s revised policy of affiliating colleges

The chairperson emphasised the need for collaboration among institutions to avoid court cases.

The ministry reported that of the 137 teachers, the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) had released salaries of 87 lecturers while those of the remaining teachers were withheld due to court restrictions.

Senator Butt sought explanation for the absence of an AGPR representative. The committee concluded by directing the ministry to provide updated information and to hold accountable those responsible for the eight-month delay in implementing the notification.

More than 500 college teachers had been serving on daily wage for several years. Out of them, the education ministry regularised services of 137 teachers last year after the approval of the federal government.

Similarly, there were another 227 teachers, who had appeared in the Federal Public Service Commission exam and their services were also regularised. Besides them, there was another group of 140 college teachers, whose fate was still hanging in the balance.

In addition to the said college teachers, there are around 1,000 daily wage teaching and non-teaching staff (from grade 1 to 14), who had been performing duties for the last over one decade in various schools of the capital, but their services were yet to be regularised.

On the other hand, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) had hired services of hundreds of new teachers and even brought hundreds of teachers on deputation, but the fate of 1,000 teaching and non-teaching remains undecided.

In 2021, the FDE moved a summary to the then federal government for regularisation of the services of these school staff, but the Imran Khan-led cabinet refused to regularise them.

Later, no new effort was made by the education ministry to decide the fate of these staffers. Besides the teachers’ issue, the committee took up the issue of unregistered universities.

Representatives from the University of Newport Institute of Communication and Economics Karachi, South Asian University Lahore, and Preston Institute of Management Science and Technology Karachi, Lahore, and their affiliated branches presented their cases.

For degree attestation, a commission will draft a checklist for universities, including student fee details, which may include bank statements from the university, admission forms, transcripts and other required documents and approval from the board of governors.

The committee decided that universities must provide an affidavit guaranteeing the accuracy of the data. Once the data is verified, the checklist will be cross-checked with student records before attestation is granted.

The committee chairperson instructed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and universities to collaborate on drafting the data form and student checklist, and update the committee in the next meeting. Additionally, she directed the establishment of a grievance desk to assist students with document attestation and related queries, and sought a follow-up on this initiative.

The Senate body also examined Punjab University’s revised policy of affiliating colleges, which included defining jurisdiction for granting affiliations, monitoring and evaluating affiliated colleges and implementing HEC policies. The university proposed amendments to the policy, but the chairperson emphasised that policy matters should remain free from any self-serving interests, ensuring that public educational entities operated transparently and effectively.

The proceedings of the committee also witnessed a rare show of discourtesy when the Senate committee chairperson, Bushra Anjum Butt, interrupted and stopped Senator Irfan Siddiqui from speaking, when he was in the middle of the discussion. To this committee members raised their voice.

PTI Senator Fauzia Arshad protested, stating that the chairperson’s behaviour was inappropriate and that such conduct was unacceptable towards a respected member like Senator Siddiqui. MQM Senator Khalida Ateeq also endorsed the view regarding the chairperson’s behaviour.

Fauzia Arshad demanded an apology from the chairperson who then apologised.

Senator Siddiqui responded with magnanimity, saying, “It’s okay”. However, the atmosphere remained tense during the meeting, which was quite visible.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2024