The failure to construct a single school and recruit a teacher in the federal capital during the last four years by Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) despite massive increase in enrollment exposed the incumbent government’s tall claims of bringing about revolutionary reforms in the education sector.
Though, the two colleges Islamabad Model College for Boys (IMCB), Sihala and Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG), Bhara Kahu have been functional during the last two years; however no school has been constructed. In addition, the construction work on these colleges was started during the previous government.
The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government launched a Prime Minister’s Education Reforms Programme with great pomp and show aimed at ensuring quality education to the students of federal public educational institutions by not merely focusing on the renovation of old buildings, but through hiring qualified teachers and up-gradation of national curricula.
To achieve the target, the government has allocated an amount of more than Rs 4.5 billion for PM Education Reforms Programme to make the schools and colleges of the capital and its suburbs a role model for the rest of the country.
Under the programme, out of total around 422 educational institutions including schools and colleges, directly working under Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), only 22 schools and colleges were upgraded, but no new educational institution has been built during the last four years despite mushroom growth and considerable improvement in enrolment in educational institutions.
According to inclusion of Article 25-A in the Constitution (which calls on the state to provide free education to all children aged 5-16 years in such a manner as may be determined by law), the government has yet to implement the provision in its true sense and the 22.6 million out-of-school kids in the country speak volume of it.
Pakistan Education Statistics revealed that during the last year a considerable improvement has been witnessed in enrolments, as in 2014-15 there were 435,699 students in various educational institutions of the federal capital, which rose to 46,0912 in 2015-16.
Similarly, there were 208,848 students in 2014-15 in educational institutions overseen by FDE, which surged to 210,273 in 2015-16.
According to the data, the total teaching staff in various educational institutions was 24,094 in 2014-15, which witnessed sizable increase and rose to 26310 in 2015-16.
However, despite considerable increase in enrolment, the teaching staff in schools under control of FDE was 8,524 in 2014-15 which remained unchanged in 2015-16.
According to the documents obtained from Ministry of CADD showed that the IMCB, Sihala, has been functional in August 2015, while IMCG, Bhara Kahu, has been functional in August 2016.
Similarly, the Islamabad Model School for Girls (IMSG), PAF Complex, E-9, is under-construction and likely to be completed by September-2017.
The data showed that establishment of Islamabad Model School (IMS) (I-V), I-82; Islamabad Model School for Boys (IMSB) (I-VIII), B-17 (Multi-Garden); IMSB (I-VIII), F-17 (Multi-Garden), IMS (I-V), Rawal Town (F.A); IMS (I-V), Ghora Shahan (F.A); IMS (I-V), Model Town Humak Zimini (F.A) and establishment of IMS (I-V), Pak. Pwd Housing Society, LohiBher (Zone-V), Islamabad have been approved in the Divisional Development Working Party (DDWP) meeting held on February 2014, but remained un-funded.
The documents revealed that the PC-1 of establishment of Islamabad Model College for Boys (IMCB) (IMCs) G-132, St-49; IMCB (IMCs) Margalla Town; IMCB (IMCs) Pakistan Town and establishment of Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) (IMCs) G-144, Islamabad has been approved in the DDWP meeting held on 07-12-2016 and are being submitted to Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform for the approval at CDWP forum.
According to the data, for the establishment of IMCG (IMCs) G-131, St-487, PSDP funds have been demanded for the year 2017-18, while PC-1 has been prepared and submitted for approval in DDWP meeting for establishment of IMCB, G-15, Islamabad.
Similarly, establishment of IMCB (IMCs) Commerce College G-132, IMCG, I-102 and establishment of IMCG (F.G) Degree College G-134, St-786 are under process, the document showed.
