FDE, Peira continue under interim arrangements amid delays in key appointments

ISLAMABAD: Two key education bodies under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training are continuing to function without permanent heads, even as an education emergency remains in place in the country.

The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), which oversees more than 430 schools and colleges in Islamabad, has been operating under ad hoc arrangements since July 2023. The office of the chairperson of the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) has also been under interim management since January this year.

The Prime Minister’s Office had sought a report from the education ministry on the matter a few months ago, but both positions remain unfilled. A joint secretary of the ministry has been handling FDE affairs for more than two years, while the executive director of the Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) has been looking after Peira for the past four months.

A schoolteacher described the delay as serious and called for accountability over the prolonged vacancy. The teacher said the post of director general of FDE had remained vacant for around three years.

“There is a need to conduct proper inquiry to fix responsibility against all those who are responsible for this inordinate delay. The post of DG FDE is lying vacant for the last around three years; this is a very serious issue,” said a schoolteacher.

FPSC recommendation still not implemented

The education ministry had referred the case for appointment of the FDE director general to the Federal Public Service Commission last year after a considerable delay. Following a test and interviews, the FPSC recommended Javed Iqbal Mirza for the post on March 4 and also wrote to the ministry in this regard.

However, Mr Mirza has not been appointed to the position. He is currently serving as director administration in the FDE. After waiting for months, he moved the Islamabad High Court seeking appointment in line with the FPSC recommendation. The ministry is expected to submit its reply at the next hearing, likely in the second week of June.

An officer of the education ministry said there were technical reasons linked to the appointment of the FDE chief and that the ministry and the federal government would present their position before the court.

“There were some technical reasons involved in appointment of DG FDE and ministry and federal government will share the point of view before the court,” said an officer of the ministry.

Peira appointment process near completion

Peira is also without a regular chairperson after former chairperson Dr Zia Batool resigned to head another organisation. On January 7, acting charge of the post was given to the IBCC executive director for three months. That arrangement was later extended for another three months as the ministry did not complete the hiring process for a permanent chairperson within the earlier period.

Another officer said the ministry wanted to fill both posts at the earliest. He added that the process for appointing the Peira chairperson was close to completion and that, after a competitive process, a summary containing the names of three shortlisted candidates had been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Secretary Education Nadeem Mahbub could not be reached for comment.