Ministry requested to process draft ordinance amendments

Islamabad : The federal education ministry has formally requested the interior ministry to process the draft of proposed amendments to the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Ordinance, 2021, on a priority basis.

The ordinance promulgated on November 23, 2021, declared that Islamabad's public sector schools and colleges would come under the purview of the local government. According to the education ministry, the proposed amendments were meant to ensure smooth operations of the ordinance in a coordinated and integrated manner by all the stakeholders to meet the desired objectives.

The proposed amendments emerged after intensive consultations of the ministry with all stakeholders, including Islamabad MNAs Ali Nawaz Awan and Raja Khurram Nawaz Awan.

On promulgation of the ordinance, concerns were raised by teachers of Islamabad’s government schools and colleges with regard to the likely operational implications in terms of the smooth functioning of the educational institutions. The ministry held deliberations with key stakeholders with a view to bringing clarity to the roles and functions of stakeholders.

As part of consultations, a committee headed by the additional secretary of the federal education ministry and having representation of the ICT administration and interior ministry was also constituted to review the relevant clauses of ICT Local government ordinance 2021.

The education ministry said in order to create a balance in terms of roles and responsibilities of the Federal Directorate of Education, the regulator for schools, and the ICT local government, certain provisions of the ordinance have been reviewed with a view to empower local government for carrying out overall monitoring and supervision of educational facilities and to introduce development plans to cater for ensuring requirements of children education in Islamabad. It requested the interior ministry to further process the draft amendments in the ordinance on priority.