QUESTION
Describe the
system of higher education in Germany, and compare this system with the higher
education system of Pakistan.
Course: Higher Education
Course code 8625
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment
ANSWER
In Germany, higher education is offered at three types of Higher Education Institutions.
o Universities(Universitäten)
These institutions offer a whole range of academic disciplines. In the German tradition, universities focus in particular on basic research so that advanced
stages of study have mainly theoretical orientation and research-oriented
components.
o Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen)
These institutions concentrate their study programs in engineering and other
technical disciplines, business-related studies, social work, and design areas. The common mission of applied research and development implies a distinct
application-oriented focus and professional character of studies, which
include integrated and supervised work assignments in industry, enterprises, or
other relevant institutions.
o Universities of Art/Music (Kunst- und Musikhochschulen)
These institutions offer studies for artistic careers in fine arts, performing
arts, and music; in such fields as directing, production, and writing in theatre, film, and
other media; and in a variety of design areas, architecture, media, and communication. Besides these three main types, which may be either state institutions or
private institutions recognized by the state, some special categories exist,
like church-maintained colleges, universities of
cooperative education (Berufsakademien), colleges of education, or colleges of
public administration. In their operations, including the organization of
studies and the designation and award of degrees, all types are subject
to higher education legislation.
Types of programs
German higher
education used to be offered in integrated "long" (one-tier) programs leading to Diplom- or Magister Artium degrees or completed by
a Staatsprüfung (State Examination).
German higher
education is currently adapting to the three-cycle degree system of the European
Higher Education Area. Therefore, the old one-tier programs are successively
being replaced by a new system. Bachelor's and Master's programs are now
offered at most institutions instead of the integrated "long" programs, except for most study
programs in law and medicine.
The Bachelor's and Master's programs are
designed to provide an enlarged variety and flexibility to students in
planning and pursuing educational objectives and they also intend to
enhance international compatibility of studies and thus international
mobility. Increasingly, higher education institutions offer study programs
taught in English to attract a larger number of incoming students.
Doctorate or Ph.D. programs are for the most part not yet subject to
state regulations, but there exists a clear trend toward more
integrated programs.
Comparison Between German and Pakistan Higher Education:
INDICATORS FOR THE
QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN
Higher educational policymaking is a very important aspect of the quality of Higher Education, because all the planning, implications, controls, results, etc. are included in this policy-making discussion, and indicators can be effectively used for policy decisions (Cohen, 1980).
In Pakistan National
Educational Policy in 1979 decided that the universities would be
facilitated with adequate educational scientific equipment and laboratory
facilities, and libraries with updated equipment. A national system for
admission to a university has been developed and launched (Read
Pakistan, 2015).
Pre- and In-service teacher training
programs had been organized by the National Academy of Higher Education.
And the standard amendment in the University Act has been made for the betterment
of the university management. According to the factors/indicators that had been
decided in the national education policy in 1979, the first university in the
private sector, the Agha Khan University was established in 1983, then the Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS) in 1985. This has set the
trend for the establishment of other private universities in the private
sector according to these standard indicators.
Factors like the administration
management, quality of teachers, accreditation, student clubs, and 80%
attendance strict call have also been included in policy in 1992.
1998-2010 policy brought additional to upgrade the quality of Higher
Education by bringing teaching, learning, and research processes in line with
international standards. Furthermore, the quality of students like the standard of
student intake and infrastructure e.g. curricula are considered as the
major quality factors of Higher Education. For all these things policy
making and its implementation is a very important issue.
t can also be assumed that there are no uniform implementation criteria for HEC for universities.
Although the universities are passing through a transition period e.g. due to a lack of enough financial resources, the proper yardstick of HEC to
assess the quality of the universities is violated badly by the
institutes. For example, private universities violate the standard criteria for the selection of the appropriate faculty
members and for the admission of students.
Public universities have
competitive faculty compared to private institutes but the infrastructure of
public universities is not so standard. So both public and private
universities have strengths and weaknesses. It is the responsibility
of HEC to develop and maintain the standard uniform quality criteria. This
is to ensure the provision of quality education at Pakistani Universities.
Nevertheless, it is now quite interesting to know about the quality of the
higher education system in Germany.1
SHORT INTRODUCTION TO HIGHER EDUCATION IN GERMANY
There are different higher educational
institutes with equivalent status in Germany, which provide different
types of Higher Education. The higher educational institutes are based
on universities, universities of applied sciences, and colleges of art
and music. These institutes are accredited and private, state higher educational institutions financed and run by the state, recognized private
institutions, and the protestant and
catholic churches. Some universities are areas specific such as Medicine, Art,
and Technology. Whereas the practical work contained areas of Engineering,
Business, and Social Sciences have been offered by applied sciences
universities which most private higher educational institutes of this
country are. However, the overall educational institutes have decreased, but the Higher Educational institutes in Germany have risen to 24%
from 1996/7 Bildungsbericht, 2014).
Due to the founding of in the meanwhile large number of applied universities, but with less number of students, the number of higher educational institutions becomes and more. Students are mostly registered in state universities. One reason can be the significant rising number of study courses on offer, which are approximately 9500 Bachelor's and 7000 Master's programs (Autorengruppe Bildungsberichterstattung (2014), Bildung in Deutschland 2014).
Related Topics
Quality and Access in Higher Education and Life long Learning
The Future of Higher Education and the Role of Technology in Distance Education
Concept and Nature of Financing in Education
Comparison Between German and Pakistan Higher Education
Need and Scope of Research in Higher Education
National Education Policy 2009
Different Organizations in the Development of Higher Education in Pakistan
Status of Higher Education in Pakistan and Planning of Higher Education in Pakistan
Higher Education in Socio-Economic Development and Importance of Education in Economic Development
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