Colleges to start career counselling for students

KARACHI: The Sindh College Education Department has announced a series of revolutionary measures aimed at reforming provincial colleges. These include strict monitoring of student and teacher attendance, the introduction of counselling services, a ban on unnecessary mobile phone use, and the launch of an outreach program for out-of-school children, ARY News reported.

Crackdown on Absenteeism

During a departmental meeting presided over by Secretary Nadeem Memon on Wednesday, officials were briefed on chronic teacher absenteeism and substandard construction work in various colleges. The meeting was informed that 44 male and 36 female teachers have been absent for an extended period.

The department decided to take immediate legal action against these individuals. Their cases have been forwarded to the Chief Secretary of Sindh, and public notices regarding the disciplinary action will be published in newspapers.

Institutional Oversight and Infrastructure To ensure better oversight, the meeting approved the establishment of an autonomous Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, formed by merging the existing monitoring and inspection wings. This body will be responsible for the strict surveillance of teacher and student attendance, infrastructure quality, and overall educational standards.

Furthermore, Secretary Memon directed the drafting of a comprehensive plan to establish a College Infrastructure Development Unit. All future development schemes will be managed through professional consultant firms, with appointments made via national and international tendering processes.

Student Welfare and Discipline Several new policies focusing on students were also introduced:

Counselling Services:

A new student counselling program will be launched, hiring education experts, bureaucrats, and professionals to guide students.

Mobile Phone Ban: The “unnecessary use” of mobile phones by students will be prohibited on campus; a formal notification is expected shortly.

Out-of-School Initiative:

The department will implement the “Each One, Teach One” strategy to integrate out-of-school children back into the education system.

A Commitment to Standards Secretary Nadeem Memon emphasized that no negligence would be tolerated in the implementation of these policies. He warned that all departmental officers must fulfil their responsibilities, or they will face indiscriminate disciplinary action.