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
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
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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