SIALKOT-Five public sector colleges for women have been running without principals in Sialkot district for the several months while the two others lack teachers in Sialkot district, it is learnt.
Though the lecturers are performing duties as acting principals, however, the educational and administrative activities are being affected. At Govt College for Women Bhopalwala, Sambrial tehsil, an assistant professor was acting as principal. In Govt Girls Degree College Qila Kalarwala, Pasrur tehsil, a grade-17 lecturer is carrying the additional charge of principal. The same situation is at Govt Allama Iqbal College for Women Sialkot and Govt College for Women Chawinda, Pasrur.
The Education Department had approved the posting of a principal, eleven teaching staff and thirteen clerical and junior staff at the Pasrur college in 2009 but no appointment has so far been made. The post of principal has also been lying vacant at Govt College for Women Sokan Wind, Pasrur tehsil. Local people have urged Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other officials to look into the matter in the large interest of the students.
On the other hand, uncertainty has covered the educational future of thousands of students studying without their teachers in Sialkot district’s two government girls’ degree colleges. Lack of interest of the education officials and the elected representatives in the appointment of teachers is badly affecting the educational system in these colleges. The managements of Govt Girls Degree College Chawinda and Govt Girls Degree College Sokan Wind enrolled thousands of students as the new buildings of these colleges were constructed without appointment of regular teachers.
The perturbed students and their teachers expressed grave concern over the critical situation, demanding early appointment of regular teachers in the colleges. As many as 25 posts of teachers were sanctioned each for both the colleges out of which most of the posts are lying vacant, they said.
The education officials still remain unable to start classes in Govt Girls Degree College Chawinda despite the passage of two and half years after the completion of its building. The project was launched in September 2006 and completed in December 2011 at a cost of Rs34 million to provide higher education for thousands of the local students belonging to Chawinda and dozens of the other surrounding bordering villages of Pasrur tehsil. In 2006, the then PML-Q backed government in Punjab had launched the project.
Meanwhile, hundreds of local students are forced to get costly education in private educational institutions while travelling to Sialkot, Pasrur, Gujranwala and surrounding areas. When contacted, education officials said that the Punjab government would appoint regular teachers at these colleges soon to cope with the shortage of teaching staff.