Private Educational Institutions Assured of Full Cooperation
Rawalpindi (News Reporter): Newly appointed Chairperson of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Gujranwala, Engineer Dr. Aqsa Shabbir, said that private educational institutions have a highly important and commendable role to play in reducing the number of out-of-school children.
She said that, alongside government efforts to improve education in Pakistan, private schools have also rendered significant services. Undoubtedly, private educational institutions are bearing nearly 60 percent of the burden of the country’s education system, she added.
She expressed these views during a meeting with a delegation of the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APSMA), Gujranwala Division. She said that private educational institutions were the Board’s largest stakeholders. Therefore, the Board would soon organize a conference of all stakeholders so that the examination system could be made more effective, transparent, and standardized through mutual consultation.
Dr. Aqsa Shabbir thanked the APSMA delegation for visiting and assuring its cooperation. She said that the doors of her office would always remain open to address the problems faced by private educational institutions concerning the Board, and every possible cooperation would be provided.
On the occasion, the APSMA delegation congratulated Dr. Aqsa Shabbir on assuming the position of Chairperson of the Gujranwala Board and presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
Dr. Amanullah Rathore, Director Colleges Gujranwala; Nadeem Chaudhry, Controller of Examinations; and Rashid Bhatti, Secretary of the Board, were also present at the meeting.
APSMA Central Vice President Muhammad Azam Saeed, Advocate, and Divisional President Dr. Mustafa Jajja welcomed the Chairperson and introduced the organization. They said that APSMA was the largest and oldest representative organization of private educational institutions providing quality education across the country and had been continuously working with the government to promote education and improve educational standards.
The delegation was led by Gujranwala Association Patron Mian Shahid Saleem, Central Think Tank Member Muhammad Saleem Sappal, APSMA Daska President Dr. Sarfraz, APSMA Sialkot District President Muhammad Mahmood-ul-Hasnain, Advocate, and Gujranwala District President Muhammad Ghazanfar Mughal.
On the occasion, Muhammad Mahmood-ul-Hasnain, Advocate, emphasized the need for better conduct and appropriate protocol for the heads of institutions affiliated with the Board. He said that since private educational institutions were important stakeholders of the Board, they should be provided facilities with dignity and respect instead of being treated like ordinary applicants.
He also described the affiliation fee of the Gujranwala Board as higher than that of other boards and demanded that it be reduced.
APSMA Patron Mian Shahid Saleem demanded an end to the old practice of unnecessary revisits during institutional inspections on the pretext of minor shortcomings. He appreciated the positive cooperation extended by Board Secretary Rashid Bhatti in this regard.
Engineer Khurram Sajjad also thanked Board Secretary Rashid Bhatti for his exemplary cooperation during visits to institutions.
During the meeting, the delegation also proposed that grants from the Board’s endowment fund should be allocated to privately affiliated institutions, maintenance funds should be provided for examination centres established in private schools, examination centres for female students should be established near their localities, and the number of biometric centres should be increased before examinations.
Chairperson Dr. Aqsa Shabbir, Controller of Examinations Nadeem Chaudhry, and Board Secretary Rashid Bhatti listened carefully to all the points raised by the delegation and assured them of every possible cooperation and positive progress.
Asim Rashid, General Secretary APSMA Daska; Chaudhry Shabbir Gujjar; Nadeem Joiya; Hafiz Atif Goraya; Atif Mahmood; Ejaz Ahmed; and several other office-bearers and members from across Gujranwala Division also attended the meeting.