HRM a challenge to education dept

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: HUMAN resource management is one of the major challenges to the authorities of Education Department in Punjab.Despite the fact that the department has been bifurcated into the School Education Department and the Higher Education Department, there is no proper management of the human resource by the authorities concerned. That is why a shortage of teachers and heads of schools and colleges and other staff is frequently reported, especially in institutions situated in far-flung areas. Another important factor related to this ‘mismanagement’ is reluctance of those teachers to teach in schools and colleges for teaching who have served on administrative posts. It is generally observed that most of teachers who are posted against such posts on deputation reluctantly join teaching later and always wait to be posted on coveted managerial posts.Political influence and teacher’s connections in power corridors are believed to be the main hurdles in proper human resource management as the teachers manipulate the authorities to avail the best opportunities. This is quite evident from the fact that dozens of administrators have been awaiting posting for the last many months after their services were placed at the Education department’s disposal for further posting when the PML-N government came into power in the province in 2008. According to sources in both the departments there are 500 high schools in the province, which are functioning without regular heads. Besides, around 100 colleges are working without regular principals.It is important to mention here that after revival of the divisional commissioners in the province, the Higher Education Department and the School Education Department have been working to revive the divisional directorate of colleges and schools. Under the revived system, directors would be appointed at each division. The sources further said a number of senior teachers who had been awaiting posting for the last many months have “succeeded” in getting their names cleared for posting against the new administrative posts. “The department high-ups could not post these senior teachers in schools despite the fact there was a dire need at various institutions,” the sources said, adding: “The use of political influence cannot be ruled out in this regard.”The academic circles are critical of human resource ‘mismanagement’ at the Education department and they are of the opinion that the government should evolve a comprehensive and transparent policy for the department. Meanwhile, a meeting of the National Curriculum Revision Committee (NCRC) of the Higher Education Commission was held at the commission’s regional centre here last week, which reviewed the existing syllabus of the discipline of Social Work being taught at the institutions of higher learning of the country.The committee reviewed the existing syllabus of the discipline and, after having detailed discussion, developed a new curriculum comprising compulsory, foundation, major and elective courses. The committee members were advised to discuss the developed curriculum within their faculty and send the recommendations to the HEC to finalise the same in the forthcoming meeting. The committee unanimously decided now the degree programme of BS Social Work would be of four years and the subjects of modern day importance like environment, disaster management, poverty, financial management, health hygiene, human rights, gender development, social mobilization and participatory development would be included in the revised curriculum. For effective implementation of BS 4-year programme, the committee recommended that the departments of Social Work at all public sector universities of the country would be equipped with facilities like highly qualified faculties, teachers training, research, computer labs, modern libraries and sufficient infrastructure.The committee recommended that a National Council of Social Work should be established under the umbrella of the HEC to enable students of social work to face new challenges of the modern world. It was also decided that the committee would again meet after two months to finalise the draft of the curriculum.—- lachvee@gmail.com

Source: The News International
Monday, February 09, 2009