Adil Najam
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Back in September Raza Rumi wrote here at ATP about a High School with only one student. Now reader Akif Nizam sends me this news item about, what he calls, the "Pakistani college with the best student to teacher ratio." According to Dawn:
The Senate Standing Committee on Education and Science and Technology on Wednesday expressed concern over the teachers-students ratio at the Government College of Education for Women, Hussainabad. During their visit to the college, the committee members under the leadership of Senator Razina Alam Khan were told that the number of students had declined at the college due to long standing ban on appointment of teachers. According to a handout, the committee took serious note when it was told that the number of students was 52 and the college has a 25-member faculty.
Director, Curriculum Wing, Jamshoro, told the committee that due to mushrooming of private institutions, it became difficult for the college to enroll more students. Moreover, the ban on teachers recruitment was also one of the reasons for low number of students, said the director. The committee also visited a couple of schools including Government Girls Primary Urdu School, Khudda Bazaar, Lyari.
The 2 to 1 student-teacher ratio is disturbing simply because it signifies a waste of resources in a society where the problem is usually not having enough teachers. But what I find particularly interesting is the explanation given by the Janshoro Curriculum Wing Director. If he is right that private institutions have sucked the students away, then I am at least happy that the students ARE studying somewhere. But, if so, then why not just let go of the extra teachers, or transfer them to some other college?
But it is really the second point he makes that has my head spinning. Let me repeat what he says: "the ban on teachers recruitment was also one of the reasons for low number of students." Please, explain this to me someone. So the point is that because new teachers cannot be recruited, therefore new students have stopped coming in! But, wait, isn’t the problem in this case too many teachers!
NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY ICOLLEGE CYBER EXPERT LEADS INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND COUNTER TERRORISM FORUM IN JAKARTA.
States News Service April 12, 2011 WASHINGTON, DC — The following information was released by the National Defense University Information Resources Management College (NDU iCollege):
Professor Gilliam Duvall, Chair of the Information Operations and Assurance Department and lead faculty member of the National Defense University iCollege’s course on “Cyber Terrorism and Cyber Crime” recently participated in the first ever Jakarta International Defense Dialogue (JIDD), 23-25 March 2011. Hosted by the Ministry of Defense, Republic of Indonesia and organized by the Indonesian Defense University, the JIDD created a forum to foster international cooperation to meet common perceived threats in defense and national security as well as promote relations in exploring defense in terms of policy, theory, practice, and implementation.
Following opening of the proceedings by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, distinguished speakers from the host nation, ASEAN, NATO, and ministers of other nations, presented topics surrounding international security frameworks and strategies for enhancing transparency, cooperation, and coordination to delegates from more than 35 countries. Prof. Duvall moderated panel discussions in the conference’s Security and Counter Terrorism track. The first panel dealt with as assessment of the global threat and efforts to strengthen regional and national security and stability. The second panel presented issues surrounding public and private sector innovation and technology to protect critical national infrastructure, such as airports, sea ports, telecommunications, and energy systems. One of the key insights presented by the panelists was the need to apply lessons learned from past counter terrorist efforts to our current counter terrorism actions. History tells us that in most cases there is not a single nationalist policy solution capable of handling transnational terrorist threats. Counter terrorist operations are most successful when policies of nations work together to share threat intelligence on a global scale. nationaldefenseuniversitynow.net national defense university
The day prior to the JIDD conference, Prof. Duvall was invited to join the faculty and staff of The Indonesian Defense University, members of the Republic of Indonesia Ministry of Defense, and representatives from several other ministries in discussions surrounding cyber definitions, cyberspace as a new operational domain, the nature of asymmetric threats to cyber operations, and to introduce his newly-developed academic theory, “The ART of Cyber Security.” Prof. Duvall relates, “The ART of Cyber Security” involves a new way of examining three basic concepts for operating securely in cyberspace. It combines technology, command and control processes, and diplomacy in a fashion that is critical to successful transnational cyber collaboration.” Professor Duvall continues to be a key member of the NDU iCollege team and can be reached at DuvallG@ndu.edu .
Information about Upcoming Regional Event – 26-28 September 2011 (Bangkok, Thailand):
“NDU International Alumni Seminar and 2ND Annual International Cyber Conference”- On 26 Sept, the NDU International Student Management Office (ISMO) will host a 1-day alumni seminar for graduates of NDU’s international programs. The event provides an opportunity to reconnect with fellow alumni serving as military and counterterrorism leaders in the region and to participate in continuing education sessions on regional security issues by alumni and faculty experts. The event will carry over into the Cyber Conference where specific alumni sessions will focus on the merger of cyber and security topics. On 27-28 Sept, as a follow-up to the very successful cyber event in Singapore (July 2010), the NDU iCollege will invite high-level government and private sector speakers to provide critical cyber information in key areas: cyber policy, information security, cloud computing, etc. Panels will discuss Public/Private Partnerships, international Cyber collaboration, and the global Cyber landscape. Hands-on cyber labs will give attendees the opportunity for 1-on-1 interaction with the experts. Registration and detailed information will be available in mid 2011 on the college’s website: www.ndu.edu/icollege . this web site national defense university
About the College – The NDU iCollege, a U.S. Department of Defense educational institution, prepares leaders to direct the information component of national power by leveraging information and information technology for strategic advantage. Although most students come from DoD (military and civilians), the school also accepts federal agency, private sector, and international students into its graduate programs. Education is focused around CIO, CFO, Information Assurance/Cyber, Enterprise Architecture, IT Project Management, and other information leadership competencies. The NDU iCollege is also currently working with the U.S. Department of Education to obtain approval for its new Government Information Leader Master of Science Degree. Courses are completed on campus and/or online. For more information about the NDU iCollege’s programs, please contact: Jolly Sienda at jolly.sienda.ctr@ndu.edu ; or for general information about the college, visit www.ndu.edu/icollege.
The National Defense University is the nation’s premier center for joint professional military education. The university is an accredited graduate-level institution that provides an educational and research environment to prepare future leaders of the armed forces and other civilian agencies for high-level policy, command, and staff responsibilities. For more information about the National Defense University, please contact: Dave Thomas, Public Affairs Officer, at 202-685-3140 or ThomasD2@ndu.edu; or visit www.ndu.edu.
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No doubt, it is a strange situation and a difficult one to resolve. We need somebody like Dr. P. Hoodbhy to help us out.
If the private teacher’s schools (TS) do not lack the students, it means that these sdutents find appropriate jobs after their degree. Why the ban of employment of teachers in public sector is not effecting these teachers? It entails that there is a demand of teachers in the private sector. Now the question arises: why the Government TS students do not seek the employment also in the private sector?
The possibility is that (1) the government bans them to work in private schools or (2) in spite of an excellent student/teacher ratio the students of Govt. TS are not as good as those in the private TS. Both of these possibilities seem to me absurd.
In my opinion the government is doing everything for elite and as little as possible for the poor. Our schools and education system need more money and particularly more attention than the University and Research without ignoring their needs and importance.
Ahsan
It is a known fact that our Government institutions are primarily welfare organizations for those who cannot be usefully employed elsewhere – at the expense of poors. Education of girls is more neglected compared to boys.
There is a need to motivate and recruit more students.
The likelihood is that this is a case of employing people that need not be employed or even may not be there. I CANNOT beleiev that there are no mre students of college age in the whole region, even if some might have gone to private institutions. This seems like a semi-ghost college.
The solution, I think, is not that difficult. Either (a) recruit more students, or (b) transfer these students and teacchers to other colleges, or (c) turn this maybe into a high school.
It is really sad to read of this waste when the real needs are so many and so strong… I wish we would have better planning in Pakistan
We worry on one hand about not enough schools and colleges for girls and then this. There has to be a better way to use these resoruces. I think this must be a scam to keep people employed without really doing anything.