Canonical Tag Script

Monday, August 22, 2022

Status of Higher Education in Pakistan | Planning of Higher Education in Pakistan

QUESTION

Explains the status of higher education in Pakistan and critically discusses the planning of higher education in Pakistan.

Course: Higher Education
Course code 8625
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment

ANSWER:

Status of higher education in Pakistan:

Education is the basic right of every citizen living in any country and this right is provided amicably by all developed countries on a priority basis. But in Pakistan, consumers of educational services – parents and students – have been left with little choice or idea when it comes to seeking higher education. Higher education is a powerful and essential tool for building a modern, knowledgeable, cultured, and peaceful society. It imparts in-depth knowledge related to different spheres of life. By giving a wider perspective of the world.

Higher education is no longer a luxury, it is essential for survival. The core mission of higher education is to educate, train, undertake research, and provide service to the community. In the context of globalization, the scope and demand for higher education are increasing day by day and this demand can only be fulfilled by quality higher education. Improving the quality of higher education is the need of the hour.  


Pakistan’s higher education is not ranked anywhere among the world's higher education systems in terms of quality. The quality of higher education depends on various factors such as a favorable environment for teaching and learning, infrastructure, teachers, curriculum, effective feedback, research opportunities, and monitoring systems. 


The problems plaguing the educational system of Pakistan are multi-dimensional. They include the population explosion, lack of resources, scarcity of qualified manpower, inconsistency in the policies of various regimes, political instability, inefficient educational management system, wastage of resources, poor quality of intake, managerial inefficiency, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate student services, inadequate material resources, non- accountability of institutions, inefficiency in teaching, poor research and lack of research opportunities and poor implementation of policies and programs. 

The institutions have not only been multiplied, but the student enrolments at colleges and universities have also registered an exceptionally high rate of growth. The demands for higher education have thus increased by leaps and bounds. Despite quality control and consolidation, these problems will continue to grow constantly for a long time to come. 


The primary structural issues in the higher education system of Pakistan are leading to poor governance of the educational institutions and questionable quality of education. Governance differences are present both in public and private sector universities. The private sector board portrays a more efficient system compared to the public sector board lacks autonomy and is under strong political influence. In most of the private and public sector universities in Pakistan, the board of governors is a combination of alumni, donors, appointees, public figures, government nominees, etc.

 

 It is very rare to find a member on the board being appointed because they possess knowledge of how universities need to perform, or they have outstanding academic contributions. Private sector universities in Pakistan have grown by a large number in the last two decades. However, on one end, the growth of such institutions provides more variety to students; some universities have questionable status.   

 

Organizational structure issues are the main cause of the inefficiency of higher education institutions. Institutional autonomy should be advanced in a context that seeks greater accountability from institutions and a more systematic approach to the structure of higher education institutions. The board of governors of universities seems unaware of these structural issues of universities.

 

This leads to universities being unable to cope with the challenges. These challenges include the evolution of new markets and the creation of new professions and vocations. Governance issues at the structural, academic, and organizational levels are hindrances to quality education. Universities remain so overly centralized that decision-making remains distorted. There is a need for decentralization in terms of decision-making.


The higher education system in Pakistan is far from developed. The issue of governance and the role of a board of governors in both the public and the private sectors are critical and there is
 a need for better management to ensure quality assurance. Higher education in Pakistan is not at par with international standards leaving a dearth of qualified graduates who can help with the rebuilding of the higher education institutions.

 

 On an academic level, there must be the right balance between research and teaching, since research is essential for the development of faculty and the improvement of education. Unfortunately, in the majority of the universities in Pakistan, emphasis is only placed on teaching leading to large class sizes and high teaching loads leaving no room for proper research. 


Pakistan cannot progress until its higher education system is qualitatively strong enough because
this poor quality is resulting in low employability, the low performance of specialized individuals, and a lack of innovative and creative ideas. These are the key elements of success and progress in the present time. All in all, there is a need to enlarge the adaptive capacity and quality of the higher education system so that it is more responsive to the changing world and meets the diversified needs of the economy — both domestic and global.  

 

For this purpose, diversification of the Pakistani higher education system must be pursued as a goal. This can be achieved by having a proper mix of public and private, formal and non-formal institutions. Special initiatives are required to enhance employability. Curriculum and content must be continually renewed through authorities and skill development networks may be set up. Collection of data on job market trends, its analysis, and dissemination are important.

 

The drawbacks mentioned above need to be transformed into the strength of Pakistan's higher education system, but this can only be done with strong willpower, determination, and willingness to change.


Planning of higher education in Pakistan:


The planning and Development (P&D) directorate of PHEC provides guidance on
integrated planning and development processes to establish expectations for project scope, budget, and schedule to the PHEC and to participate in strategic policy matters of public sector universities of Punjab province.


Project inception and preliminary planning require the thoughtful definition of goals and needs,
master planning to accommodate anticipated future needs, funding
requirements, budget cycles and/or financial impacts, and project phasing. The P&D
directorate facilitates Higher Education Institutions in this regard. The main
objectives of all the activities are to establish and strengthen higher education
institutions, improve access to education, and develop research facilities. The
responsibilities of P&D include;


· Coordination with other ministries & directorates
· Planning and designing short and long-term plans.
· Developing and writing projects.
· Assessment/Evaluation of PC-Is submitted by the Universities.
· Conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of the new institution in Punjab.
· Preparation of draft ACT, PC-1s, and other documents required for the development of new institutions. 


The role of the P&D directorate is also to oversee the development projects funded through
 the Annual Development Program (ADP), the Government of Punjab for higher education at the Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC), universities, and at Degree Awarding Institutions. The P&D directorate is also maintaining the key statistics of public HEIs in Punjab province. 


The P&D directorate is additionally engaged with the establishment of new universities / HEIs in the Punjab province and for this purpose, the P&D directorate has also developed policy
guidelines for the establishment of new universities and sub-campuses of Universities / HEIs in the Punjab province.


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

Scope and Significance of Assessment in Higher Education and Used Different Kinds of Assessment  Techniques 

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 

No comments:

Post a Comment

If you have any question related to children education, teacher education, school administration or any question related to education field do not hesitate asking. I will try my best to answer. Thanks.

New BISE Gazzets of the Current Year

All Punjab Gazzets Sargodha Board Gazzet 2024 10th class Lahore Board 10th Class Gazzet Part 1 Lahore Board 10th Class Gazzet Part 2