Rana Liaquat Ali Khan Government College of Home Economics
Encyclopedia
Rana Liaquat Ali Khan Government College of Home Economics is situated at Stadium Road in Gulshan-e-Iqbal
in Karachi
, Sindh
, Pakistan
.
The RLAK Government College was founded by Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan wife of first Prime Minister of Pakistan
Nawab Liaquat Ali Khan.
Gulshan-e-Iqbal
'Iqbal Goth' is a large residential and commercial neighbourhood of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.The name "Gulshan-e-Iqbal" means "the garden of Iqbal", referring to the national poet of Pakistan, Allama Muhammad Iqbal....
in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
The RLAK Government College was founded by Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan wife of first Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Nawab Liaquat Ali Khan.
Vision of Ford Foundation
- Establishment of RLAK Colleges of home Economics Karachi started in 1952 with support from the Ford FoundationFord FoundationThe Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
(USA) and APWA. Ford Foundation provided all the funds for building, books and training of staff while Pakistan Government provided the Land. APWA was an active member of governing council and an administrative liaison between Ford Foundation and Pakistan Government. Oklahoma State University assisted in making of curriculum and syllabi, establishment of college and training of teachers in Karachi. - Its name at that time was Domestic Science College. Eleanor RooseveltEleanor RooseveltAnna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
installed the foundation stone of the College. College worked as semi independent public institution under the management of governing council. Federal government paid the salaries of staff and provided budget for the running of the college. - The first batch of students was admitted in 1955. Masters education started in CHE Karachi in 1961 and staff was sent of overseas training till 1971.
- Board of secondary and higher secondary education was responsible for examining intermediate students and Karachi University for graduate and post graduate students.
Administrative Controls and Public Contributions
- In 1972 college was given to provincial Government. College was to be run as a professional college. However for some unknown reason that status was never realized. The system of training of staff was could not be continued; and the recruitment of new staff was neither done solely on the basis of merit nor according to needs of the college. Allocation of budget to college was not done according to its needs and it was treated as an ordinary graduate college.
- Though college did not get much support in terms of staff training, equipment, recurring expenses etc the provincial government supported the college by constructing new blocks of buildings in year 1991 and initiate another renovation scheme in year 2005.
- In 2001 education dept Government of Sind the authority to give admission in 1st year was taken from the college administration. Due to lack of flexibility in choice of faculty and complexity and weaknesses of the system it resulted in decline in number of applicants and lowering of academic standard of successful applicants
Contributions of Private Sector
- Individuals and groups from Private sector for example: National foods (pvt.) ltd, Efroze Chemicals, Rangoonwala Trust, Thai Embassy etc; have been very supportive to the college and has provide support in establishment and enrichment.