KP universities’ teachers resent ban on appointments

PESHAWAR: A recent decision of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government through the Higher Education Department to ban all kinds of appointments in the public sector universities owning to 'financial crisis' has caused resentment among the universities' administrations as well as the teaching community.The government has been urged to withdraw the decision without delay. The vice-chancellors of the public sector universities held an emergency meeting on Thursday evening wherein the participants expressed reservations over the decision.They believed it would adversely affect the functioning of the universities, particularly at a time when all the institutions are stepping into a new academic session. The vice-chancellors decided to take up the matter with the chancellor/governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and chief minister at the earliest and inform them of the actuation situation. They felt the decision was taken in haste without holding consultation with the universities' administration."This is blatant interference in the universities' affairs. The universities are autonomous bodies. It's none of the Higher Education Department's business to put such illegal ban," a source privy to the meeting told The News.The participants of the meeting asked the Higher Education Department's officials to stop interference in the universities as it impacted on the autonomy of these institutions of higher learning.Meanwhile, the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) rejected the ban. It set a one-week deadline for the provincial government to lift the ban or else they would launch a protest drive across the province.The announcement was made at an emergency general body meeting of the FAPUASA with its provincial president Dr Sartaj Alam in the chair. The meeting termed the decision anti-education and said it clearly amounted to interference in the affairs of the universities.The meeting participants felt the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was not serious in taking real steps for promotion of quality education.They said the decision would adversely affect the academic and research activities at the universities. They noted that the government had spent huge funds on the incomplete project of the Bus Rapid Transit in Peshawar but was not ready to spend funds to overcome financial problems in the public sector universities.

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2PnTLcb