ISLAMABAD: The government’s plan to devolve 5 ministries to the provinces is likely to come undone as the Federal Education Ministry and the National Assembly Standing Committee on Education opposed the devolution under the 18th constitutional amendment in unison at a meeting of the of the committee on Tuesday, chaired by Member of the National Assembly Abid Sher Ali.
The chairman of the education committee directed the Education Ministry to submit a detailed proposal to it in two days so that the issue could be taken up with the Senator Raza Rabani-led Constitutional Reforms Committee. Both the NA committee and Education Ministry cited serious consequences of devolving the ministry to the provinces under 18th constitutional amendment.
Federal Education Minister Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali said at the meeting that although he voted for the 18th amendment, he could not comprehend the nitty-gritty of the bill at that time because it was too complicated. “I voted for it unintentionally,” he declared.
He told the committee that he was not taken on board as far as the devolution and that at least curriculum, education policy and planning should remain in the Federal Government’s control in the greater interest of the country. “Devolution should not mean destruction of the state organs,” he said.
He said that before giving power to provinces for developing their own curriculum it should be kept in mind that there was no national curriculum at the time of dismemberment of Pakistan and it was one of the major reasons for the separation of East Pakistan.
Sardar Aseff said that the curriculum, syllabus, standards of education up to grade 12, centre of excellence under Entry 38 and Islamic Education under Entry 39 had been transferred to the provinces in the 18th Constitution Amendment.
Committee Member Zubaida Jalal, who was the federal education minister in the previous regime, went as far as calling the plan to hand the education ministry to the provinces a threat to the federation.
She said she feared that provinces would make changes in the history, Islamic studies and geography books in the absence of a national curriculum, which ultimately would lead to ‘national ruin’ and Urdu would no longer be the national language.
She also said that provinces would not get the attention of international donors agencies – that were contributing much to the education sector – because they wouldn’t be represented at the national level.
The committee also asked the education secretary to look into the expulsion of contract teachers from federal colleges and ensure merit and justice in the recruitment of teachers and the chairman directed education secretary to give the committee a detailed report on contract teachers.
