- Senate Standing Committee on Education and Training orders Finance ministry to release funds to HEC, takes notice of differences between university VCs
Senate Standing Committee on Education and Training on Thursday directed the officials of Ministry of Finance to ensure release of funds to Higher Education Commission (HEC) within two weeks.
In the meeting, held under the chairmanship of Abdul Nabi Bangash the committee took serious notice of the internal rift between the professors and vice chancellors of different universities over non-payment of 20 percent rise in salaries due to non-release of funds.
HEC Executive Director Dr Mukhtar Ahmad informed the committee about the hurdles in executing different scholarship programmes and projects due to non-release of funds. “The delay in release of funds has disrupted the academic activities in the universities, harming the future of students,” he said.
The committee discussed the status of Pakistan Manpower Institute (PMI) Hostel building occupation by Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.
The committee was informed that the PMI hostel has been vacated and would now be utilised for training purposes for students. The committee was given detailed briefing over the performance of National Vocation and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC).
NAVTTC director general informed the committee that NAVTTC has planned to establish Federal Board of Technical Education (FBTE) to make a connection between the federal and provincial authorities.
He said that NAVTTC would also impart training to the polio victims in coordination with UNESCO.
The committee was also given detailed briefing about the role and performance of PMI. Moreover, the committee emphasised on declaring emergency in education for the next five years and to take stringent measures for increasing the literacy rate of Pakistan.
The committee expressed concern over Pakistan being one of those nine countries which spend the least on education.
Minister for Education, Training and Standards in Higher Education, Baligh-ur-Rehman said that education is the top priority of the current government and is committed to bring positive reforms in the education sector.
He said, “The ministry has planned to form a Federal Curriculum Commission with involvement of provincial representatives to bring uniformity in the curriculum.”
Furthermore, he stated that the country is currently spending 2 percent of GDP on education which would be gradually increased up to 4 percent of GDP by the year 2018, adding that the government has decided to hold enrollment campaign from September 9 to 11 to mark the International Literacy Day on September 8.
Additionally, the committee also discussed the renaming issue of the Ministry of Professional and Technical Training as Ministry of Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education.
The minister responded that the ministry name must carry the word ‘education’ for its international image and there will be no interference in the provincial matters.
Senators Begum Najma Hameed, Afrasiab Khattak and Muhammad Kazim Khan including others were also present at the meeting.
