Senate committee urges to allocate maximum funds for education

ISLAMABAD, Sep 26 (SABAH): The Education Committee Chairperson, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, summoned the Secretaries of Finance and Planning for the next meeting of the Senate Education Committee.

This meeting aims to provide a detailed briefing on the bifurcation and disbursement of funds allocated to the Ministry of Education across various provinces and departments. The committee, at the ministry’s request, also proposed an evaluation of the budgetary allocations, advocating for an increase in funding for education. Senator Butt emphasized that education, being vital to the prosperous future of Pakistan, warrants significant attention and should be prioritized.

This statement was made during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, chaired by Senator Butt at the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. The agenda included discussions on allowances for professors and teachers, the provision of classrooms, issues related to retired teachers, degree attestations, and other significant student-related concerns.

During the session, Senator Manzoor Ahmad raised a public importance point regarding the discontinuation of allowances for professors, teachers, and employees of BUITEMS University. It was reported that these allowances had been halted on the directive of the Governor of Balochistan, who serves as the university’s Chancellor. Despite multiple representations by the faculty, the university management’s case was not acceded to by the university’s Syndicate. Consequently, this matter will now be presented to the university senate for consideration.

The committee chair directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to convene a meeting with provincial representatives to resolve this issue and to share the minutes of the meeting with the committee. A timeline of two weeks was set for resolution.

In discussing the workings and performance of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), the committee decided to conduct an on-ground visit to evaluate its effectiveness. It was reported that the approved total cost is 19,515 million rupees, with an allocation of 6,417.12 million for 2025. In the first quarter, 1,074,583 million rupees were released, with expenses as of September 25, 2024, amounting to 317.214 million rupees, and total liabilities incurred at 757.2 million rupees, leaving 0.169 million rupees in available funds.

Regarding the regularization of 137 daily wage employees, the chairperson summoned both parties for a public hearing to record their positions and seek resolution.

Additionally, the chairperson also summoned universities involved in the halting of student attestations to explain why they had not complied with the standing committee’s directive to draft a checklist and establish an information desk. The chair stated that this reflects poorly on the university’s intentions, warning that serious action would be taken against any university found guilty of obstructing students in the attestation process.

The meeting was attended by Senators Falak Naz, Khalida Ateeb, Kamran Murtaza, and Senator Manzoor Ahmad, alongside senior officials from relevant departments.