Faisalabad Education Board got education soldier
Tremolo: Mian Nadeem Ahmed 94 news
There is a welcome news in the educational circles of the entire division including Faisalabad that after a long time the headship of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Faisalabad has been entrusted to a person belonging to the education department instead of an administrative officer. The appointment of Professor Rana Benjamin as the Chairman Education Board by the Punjab Government is not just an appointment but a positive step towards examination reforms and showing confidence in the education system. For many years, the additional charge of Chairman of the Board was held by the Divisional Commissioner. Commissioners undoubtedly play an important role in terms of their administrative capabilities and powers, but the reality is that they are responsible for dozens of administrative, developmental, law and order and governance issues. In such a case, the education board might not have got the place it deserved in their priorities. This was the reason why the routines of the board were often confined to the files, while the practical problems of the board offices, examination system, students, teachers and educational institutions did not get the attention they needed.
Education is a field whose pulse can be felt better only by one who has had years of practical engagement with the classroom, students, examinations, curriculum and educational institutions. Complexities of examination system, preparation of results, paper marking, re-checking, affiliation issues, problems of educational institutions and problems of students are solved not only by administrative orders but by educational understanding and experience. In this context, the appointment of Prof. Rana Benjamin as the Chairman seems to be a promising start. His educational services, teaching experience and commitment to the education sector ensure that the Faisalabad Education Board will no longer be an examination-conducting institution but a modern, active and student-friendly institution.
The dinner organized in his honor by the All Pakistan Private Schools Alliance recently was also a manifestation of the confidence that the educational community has in his leadership. The sincerity and vision with which the Chairman Education Board expressed his future plans during the function was truly encouraging. He clarified that the examination system of the board will be made more transparent, modern and digitized so that the students do not face unnecessary difficulties. He also vowed that the administrative issues of educational institutions would be resolved on priority basis, while transparency and trust would be strengthened by introducing modern reforms in the system of paper checking and rechecking. These did not feel like mere formal announcements but the voice of an educator who has been serving in the education field for years and knows how much even a mark means to a student.
Addressing the ceremony, well-known educationist welfare officer Dr. Abdul Rahim Babar Dogar also hailed the appointment and said that after the appointment of the chairman, there is hope of solving the long-standing problems of the board. According to him, when the leadership has an educational background, the decisions are also in accordance with the ground realities and their positive results come out quickly.
In the event, President of All Pakistan Private Schools Alliance, Mian Nadeem Ahmed, representing private educational institutions, made a very important proposal that the affiliation period of private educational institutions should be increased from one year to three or four years. This is certainly a worthy proposition. Organizations face unnecessary paperwork, time and expense due to renewal of affiliation every year. If long-term affiliation is given to institutions that perform better according to transparent criteria, not only the administrative burden of the board will be reduced, but the educational institutions will also be able to focus all their attention on improving the quality of education.
Today, every developed country in the world prioritizes its education reforms. In Pakistan too, if the educational institutions are to be strengthened, the examination boards have to be developed on modern lines. Digitization, transparency, merit, timely results, online facilities and student friendly policies are the way of future. The good news is that the new leadership of the Faisalabad Education Board seems to be thinking in the same direction.
It is to be hoped that Professor Rana Benjamin will prove to be a reformist educational leader and not just an administrative head. Under his leadership, if the examination system becomes more transparent, fast, modern and easy, it will benefit millions of students, thousands of teachers and hundreds of educational institutions.
In the end, it can be said that when the reins of the educational institutions are in the hands of the soldiers of education, the decisions are also in the interest of education, the reforms are also proved to be long-lasting and the confidence is also restored. This start is certainly welcome in the Faisalabad Board, now the eyes are on how fast this vision is implemented. If this spirit continues, in the coming years, Faisalabad Education Board can be counted among the best education boards not only in Punjab but also in the country.
