Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training on Tuesday once again appointed a temporary head of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

It is pertinent to mention that the department is running without a permanent head since 2016.

According to the notification, the ministry appointed Ali Ahmed Kharal as FDE director general on additional charge. Ali Ahmed Kharal is the principal of Islamabad Model College for Boys G-6/3.

“The secretary of the Ministry of Federal Education is pleased to grant additional charge of the post of the DG to Professor Ali Ahmed Kharal, principal of IMB, in addition to his own duties with immediate effect for the period of three months or until the appointment of a regular incumbent of the post of DG whichever is earlier,” stated the order signed by deputy secretary Chaudhry Ramzan.

The notification reads that the officer will be entitled to receive additional charge allowance of 20 percent of his pay during the said period as admissible under the rules.

According to rules formulated by the Education Ministry in March 1990, the FDE DG shall be appointed by promoting people from within the department. These include serving directors or a principal of a degree college with at least 17 years of teaching or administrative experience.

Moreover, SRO-225 states that the DG must have at least 17 years of teaching or administrative service in BS-17 or at least 12 years of service in BS-18 and above or five years in teaching or administrative service in BS-19 in case of direct recruitment. Usually, the FDE appoints a DG on turn basis, alternating between the two categories.

The FDE has the mandate to oversee official affairs of 423 educational institutions. The presence of a head of any institution is considered significant to idyllically handling official business. However, the FDE has no permanent director general after retirement of Dr Shahnaz A Riaz on December 10, 2016.

The post has been lying vacant since then or has been filled on ad-hoc basis.

The last government appointed Hasnat Qureshi against the post on additional charge as he is also the chairman of Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA). According to the obtained information, Hasnat Qureshi has no experience in education sector because he is Grade-20 officer of custom group services and has never served in any educational institution before FDE and PEIRA.

Nowadays, the FDE works as attached department of the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training.

Dr Shahnaz A Raiz was the sole DG who was promoted on seniority basis. However, she had been twice removed from the post over non-compliance of alleged illegal orders of her bosses in Capital Administration & Development Division Ministry.

Apart from interval induction of Dr Shahnaz Riaz and acting charges of any FDE official during official leave or official assignments of DGs, over seven DGs have been replaced from 2013 onwards. They included Amir Ashraf Khawaja, Ali Kharal, Moinuddin Wani, Ayesha Farooq, Dr Tariq Masood and now Kharal.

The officials in the FDE commented that this is a key post and appointment should be made on permanent basis. They said that usually temporary DGs are less bothered to make some policy level changes in the Islamabad Capital Territory educational system which should be the mandatory vision of any head of department.

“The directorate was suffering in the absence of a permanent head. The provisional chief could not understand and deal with all official affairs of the FDE properly,” said a senior official wishing anonymity.

The concept of dual charge against senior administrative slots is very common in many departments of the country. This issue also came under discussion at a Senate Standing Committee meeting held a few months back. Committee member Ramesh Kumar pointed out that the culture of dual charge on key administrative positions was badly affecting the institutional performance. He said that currently, 14 health departments were being functioned without permanent heads.

Published in Daily Times, November 21^st 2018.