ISLAMABAD: Several colleges run by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) are facing a shortage of teachers while five model colleges in the federal capital were functioning without a regular teaching staff.
Sources said the girls’ college in Bhara Kahu, and the boys’ colleges in Humak, Sector I-14, and Sector I-8/3 are without adequate teaching staff. Meanwhile, the model colleges in Mera Bagwal, Pakistan Town, Sector G-13, and Sector G-15 did not have regular teaching staff even though they started functioning a few years ago. According to an FDE official, “The education ministry should look into this issue and all posts should be filled with regular staff in the greater interest of students.”
An education official, however, said that only the Bhara Kahu college was facing a shortage of teachers. Except for this college, no other colleges were facing an immediate shortage of teachers. The official said six new teachers recently joined the FDE and a majority of them would be posted to this college.
Speaking about the regular staff for model colleges, the official said that the FDE had moved a summary in this regard.
Years on, five model colleges await regular teaching staff
“The FDE has moved PC-4 (for regular posts] of four colleges to the education ministry to get approval for regular posts. Once these posts are approved, we will request the FPSC [Federal Public Service Commission] for appointments,” he said, adding that PC-4 for the Mera Bagwal college would be sent to the education ministry soon.
In reply to a question about the shortage of college teachers in other colleges, he said the FDE in September had forwarded their case to the FPSC for the recruitment of 10 associate professors (two male and eight female) and 31 assistant professors (18 male and 13 female), 98 female lecturers, and 33 male lecturers. Once the recruitment process is finalised, the department will have 110 new teachers.
At present, the department introduced a rationalisation policy under which surplus teaching staff was transferred to other colleges to meet the shortage of teachers. Under this policy, after the input from the principals concerned, some male teachers were assigned to girls’ colleges, and some female teachers were assigned to boys’ colleges.
On the other hand, an FDE official criticised the education ministry and the directorate for a delay in recruitment for the model colleges. He said these colleges took several years to build and the government could have hired teachers in the meantime, but that did not happen.
“This is unfortunate that five model colleges, which started operations a couple of years ago, still don’t have sanctioned posts. Similarly, some other colleges, like the one in Bhara Kahu, started classes many years ago, but are still facing a shortage of teachers,” he said.
FDE is the supervisory body of 431 schools and colleges in Islamabad. Besides, around three hundred schools, there are 13 FG colleges and 26 model colleges under its supervision.
Interestingly, like its colleges, the FDE itself is struggling as it has been run through ad-hoc arrangements since July last year. The post fell vacant in July, when the education ministry abruptly got then-DG Dr Ikram Ali Malik removed. Since then, the ministry has been running the FDE without a regular head.
When contacted, a senior official at the education ministry said there was no delay on the part of the education ministry. “We have moved a summary carrying names of three shortlisted candidates to the federal government,” he said, hoping a name for the post would be approved soon.
Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2025
