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Funding for IGCSE

2015-05-20
THIS is apropos the report `FDE needs funds to run O/A levels programme` (May 15) by Kashif Abassi. Prof Moazzam Hussain has rightly pointed that the programme is funding itself from the monthly fees of Rs5,000 from students.

I was vice principal and coursecoordinator at Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG), I-10/4, when the pilot project to start IGCSE was initiated in 2012, the then principal, Mrs Samina Nadeem, voluntarily took the challenge to start the IGCSE classes for girls at the college.

In 2014, the student strength was raised to 21. Remuneration to the faculty from the existing staff of the college taking classes of IGCSE was to be paid at the rate of Rs400 per period and Rs10,000 a month to the course coordinator from the fees collected.

At IMCG I-10/4 although no funding was received for the programme from the federal directorate of education (FDE), we neverfaced any shortage offunds.The faculty at IMCG I-10/4 was paid remuneration from September 2012 to September 2013 by the then principal.

But from October 2013 the new principal stopped the payment without any reason.

The non-payment of remuneration, which was to be made from the fees paid by students, did not influence the institution`s budget. The faculty continued to take classes and teachtheir subjectsforthe goodwill of the college.

I got retired from government service on July 12, 2014, on attaining the age of superannuation. All my efforts and pleas for payment produced no results.

I approached the Federal Ombudsman in October 2014 about the non-payment of my dues for 10 months from September 2013 to June 2014. The case was heard on Nov 7, 2014, and the decision was passed on Dec 18, 2014, and communicated to the FDE, ordering it to make payments amounting to Rs172,800. But despite my repeated telephonic and personnel visits to the ombudsman and FDE offices, the orders have not been implemented by the FDE.

Neelofar Khalid Islamabad