Biometric System being Setup in Colleges – AJK Minister

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Minister for Colleges Col. Retd. Waqar Ahmed Noor says the biometric system was being set up to ensure punctuality of faculty members at colleges in AJK.

Talking to journalists in his office on Sunday he said the performance of teachers in colleges in the State should be compatible to their hefty salary packages.

It is our endeavor to bring in several changes in administrative affairs to replace the traditional system of education, he added.

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He disclosed that around 150 colleges were being run in public sector while in private sector the number of colleges comes to 450. He said the mechanism of registration of private colleges was being changed.

“A proposal is being mulled for fast track promotions of teaching staff on the basis of sheer performance. Poor performance of teachers would be liable to withholding their increments” he revealed.

Noor claimed that he makes surprise checks regarding punctuality of teachers by visiting colleges every week in a bid to restore the confidence of common man on public institutions. There is no dearth of some pretty capable teachers at college level in the State but their competences are not being utilized properly, he pointed out. He said he wants to end the culture of favoritism, nepotism or recommendations.

“Prime Minister Haider has directed me to take all measures to raise the standard and quality of education and restore the confidence of the people on public educational institutions” he said.

He said performance is the only way for public colleges to end the hegemony of private sector in education. There are scores of colleges in private sector that perform really well and could be quoted as instance for others, he remarked. He said there is no room for lame excuses or recommendatory culture in education sector adding that merit is the sole criterion henceforth in higher educational institutions.

Noor said it should be eye opener to public institutions that despite having better playing grounds and other facilities why the number of students in public colleges is so small than private colleges where teachers are paid so low wages.

He assured that government would formulate policies that would necessitate government teachers to admit their children in public institutions in an effort to improve the standard of education in public sector.