Owing to mismanagement on the part of authorities concerned, the top most post of director general of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has become a musical chair as the organization awaits appointment of a 10th officer for the top seat within a short span of two and a half years.
The drama of changing DGs started on August 31, 2009, with the removal of the then DG Atiq-ur- Rehman and it continues with the removal of political appointee Atif Kayani whose contract was suspended on last Friday by the Capital Administrative and Development Division (CAAD) secretary.
The removal of Kayani came after a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the chief justice, observed that in the presence of highly qualified persons, including a number of PhD holders, a third-division bachelor degree holder was managing the affairs of the FDE. The court was hearing a petition filed by former DG FDE, Dr Shahnaz Riaz, against her sacking.
After Atiqur Rehman, who quit in August 2009, the FDE has so far faced some nine DGs. Atiq-ur-Rehman was replaced by a college principal, Shaista Pirzada, who took the charge on September 1,2009. But she was removed just after 4 months.
Later, on January 9, 2010, Dr Shahnaz Riaz took the charge of the office, but she too could not serve before the powerful bureaucracy and had to leave within one month. She was replaced by Dr Shaheen Khan, chairperson, Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE).
She survived for a month and on March 11, 2010, Shahnaz Riaz got her chair back again. This time, Shahnaz Raiz served just for two weeks. Following that, the post went back to the FBISE chairperson and she served as the DG till November 14, 2010.
After Dr Shahnaz Riaz and Shaheen Khan, a senior educationist Aurangzeb Rehman was made a new DG on November, 15, 2010, however, within two months, he was removed.
Once again the charge was given to the FBISE chairperson, Shaheen Khan, who remained on the seat till April 5, 2011. Subsequently, Shaheen Khan was replaced by Chaudhry Muhammad Nazir who assumed the charge in April 2011, just to leave the office after one month. He was replaced by Atif Kayani who assumed charge on May 23 and left the office on May 19, 2012.
A senior official of the FDE said that every DG tried his best to serve but some officials, who were earlier part of the Education Ministry, and are now enjoying senior posts at CAAD were responsible for the sorry state of FDE, an organization, which is supposed to look after the affairs 418 educational institutions of the federal capital.
When contacted, a senior educationist and FGCTA general secretary, Professor Tahir Mahmood, said that time has come for the people sitting at the helm of affairs to think sincerely about the FDE, which is linked with the future of more than 200,000 students
He said that teachers’ promotion cases from (18 to 19 ) and house rent allowance issues have been lying pending for the last two years, but no one is paying heed toward such genuine issues of teachers’ community.
“In the past, DGs were appointed on political influence, ignoring the Establishment Division’s directives. The new DG should be appointed according to the advice of the Establishment Division. We demand a senior professor of a federal college on the post,” Professor Tahir Mahmood added.
Another senior educationist, Professor Yasmin Bukhari, said that a new DG should be appointed for not less than three years as every change affects the whole structure and teachers’ problems are increasing day by day.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Dr Shahnaz Riaz who had filed a case in the Supreme Court against her sacking from the post of the DG said that in 2010 she was illegally removed from the post. “If I am not made the DG, I will again file a case in the Supreme Court,” she added.
A source said that around five influential principals of model colleges were lobbying for the post. While the last DG, Atif Kayani, is also trying his best to get his seat back.
It is relevant to note here that the other day when the prime minister came to schoolteachers’ function at Convention Centre, a large number of teachers raised slogans in favour of former DG Atif Kayani and demanded of PM to reappoint him.
Meanwhile, a three-member committee of Capital Administrative and Development Authority (CCAD) on Friday conducted interviews of college teachers for appointment of a new DG. The three-member committee comprises Additional Secretary CAAD, Khalid Hanif, Joint Secretary Admin Noor Zaman and Education Adviser Prof Rafiq Tahir.
