Adil Najam
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!
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.
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
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 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.
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