KARACHI: The College Education Department has failed to post subject-wise faculty members in the government colleges across Sindh, resulting that a number of colleges lack subjects specialists while some of the existing colleges have been over staffed, Daily Times has learnt. It’s been 2 years since the director general colleges has sent a summary to the secretary education regarding appointments of need based faculty members in the government colleges but no penetrates are being observed and the issue has lingered for the past several years. Faculty members have also resisted the issue but they don’t have any authority to appoint subject-wise teachers in the colleges. Contrary, grade-wise appointments are meant to fill the vacant posts in the colleges merely because if any of the colleges have 10 vacant posts of various subjects there should be appointed faculty members by subject-wise. “The colleges which are specified for science subjects the department has deployed the teachers who can only teach humanities or commerce’s subjects and where the teachers needed for commerce or arts, the teachers of science subjects have been deployed”, Aziz Ullah Memon, spokespersons of Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association said. In addition, a debate among the faculty members of colleges on social media has however highlighted the issue in which almost all of the teachers agreed on subject-wise appointments. “It’s the need of time to introduce new subjects at the college level included geography, psychology, education and there should be appointed at least one subject specialist but it’s purely administrative failure by not posting subject specialist against vacant posts”, commented Kashif Ali, a lecturer at Government Boys Degree College Sakrand, adding that everybody wants to be appointed near his residence especially in urban areas that is the reason that this problem has been existing for years. To this trumpet, some of the college teachers assume that government and political affiliation is behind the policy because appointments by subject-wise was practiced earlier. “After the Pakistan Peoples Party came into the powers, the policy of grade-wise appointments of faculty members was also sidelined by some of the political leaders resulting that if a college needs a subject specialist for zoology, the department appoints a teacher of Islamic history”, Mustafa Kamal Pathan, an employee of education department said, adding that it’s a clumsy joke because a teacher of Islamic history cannot teach zoology as per syllabus. “It depends upon the principals of the colleges as they have the right to refuse the joining of extra and unneeded faculty members”, Altaf Simair, an educationist said, adding that due to the social pressure, unionism and irresponsible authorities, principals of the colleges can’t resist as well. Tanveer Ahmed, a lecturer explained that the department is trying to fix the issue but unfortunately they can’t accelerate the procedure. “It’s already been decided in 2016 to post need based teachers and to create subject wise posting system but the irony is that the department doesn’t have a secretary who can sit more on his chair before understanding the matters and problems , either he get transferred or retired then how can the problems be solved”, he added. Gulab Rai, assistant director of human resources at regional directorate colleges, Karachi, conformed that the faculty members face the issue and last year former Director General Colleges Nasir Ansar had forwarded a summary in this regards to settle the problem but no tangible outcomes have been observed. “Need based appointments are very effective, after the approval from the department so we are awaiting to adopt the policy as soon as possible”, Rai said but Asghar Karim, an assistant professor at government college, North Nazimabad, says “I have been hearing about subject SNE for last 15 years but it is not implemented because of corrupt bureaucracy”. “The issue is unresolved for last 40 years while I have completed my 35 years service in Education Department, perhaps it would continue further because the department couldn’t ensure to revoke appointment on basis of favoritism”, Nazar Muhammad Kalhoro, a retired faculty member supported Karim as he commented in the debate. Muhammad Najamul Absar, an assistant professor of Islamic history in Sindh Muslim Government Arts and Commerce College has intense grievances regarding subject-wise appointments which are totally different and amazing. He says, “Most of the faculty members want to be deployed near at their residences where they could seek out students for tuition, not to deliver lectures in the classes and they also want to be appointed in the evening shifts in the colleges for their own effortlessness. He further exposed the teachers that unionism and teachers associations are opposing the policy of subject-wise appointments for the sake of vote bank while a large number of faculty members are using political influences and references to be appointed at their wished places. Published in Daily Times, July 12th , 2017.