Q1 Elaborate on the role of higher education in socio-economic development. also, discuss the major function a university plays in society.
Course: Higher Education
Course code 8625
Level: B.Ed (1.5 Years)
Solved Assignment
Role of higher education in socio-economic development:
The Importance of Education in Economic Development
(A)Various
government initiatives are being adopted to boost the growth of the distance
education market, besides focusing on new education techniques, such as
Learning and M-learning.
(B) The Education
sector has seen a host of reforms and improved financial outlays in recent
years that could possibly transform the country into a knowledge haven. With
human resources increasingly gaining significance in the overall development of the country, the development of education infrastructure is expected to remain the key focus in
the current decade. In this scenario, infrastructure investment in the
education sector is likely to see a considerable increase in the current
decade Moreover, the availability of English-speaking tech-educated talent,
democratic governance, and a strong legal and intellectual property protection
framework are enablers for world-class product development, as per Mr. Amity
Pandas, President-Engineering and Site Leader for Cisco (India).
(C)
The
Government of India has taken several steps including the opening of IITs and
IIMs in new locations
as well as allocating educational grants for research scholars in most
government institutions. Furthermore, with online modes of education being used
by several educational organizations, the higher education sector in
India is set for some major changes and developments in the years to
come.
(D) Before the nineteenth century, systematic investment in human capital was not
considered especially important in
any country. Expenditures on schooling, on-the-job
training, and other similar forms of investment were quite small. This began to
change radically during this century with the application of science to
the development of new goods and more efficient methods of production,
first in Great Britain, and then gradually in other countries.
(E) Many
countries are now on the brink of a further increase in access to secondary and
higher education and in effecting spectacular improvements in the quality of
education offered at all levels. As increasing numbers of students
complete their basic education, their demand for education at higher
levels is similarly increasing. Educating girls and women is probably
the single most effective investment a developing country can make, whether or
not women work outside the home. It creates a multitude of positive
remunerations for families including better family health and nutrition,
improved birth spacing, lower infant and child mortality, and enhanced
educational attainment of children.
The major function a
university plays in society.
It is commonly
perceived that education is the most powerful weapon in alleviating poverty,
elevating economic growth, producing
skilled human resources, creating
a healthy and enlightened social environment, and making
self-sufficient nations. Poverty and education are paradoxically related
to each other: if one is improved, the other is decreased.
In a socially,
economically, religiously, and culturally diverse state like Pakistan, higher
education institutions and universities, imparting education, and conducting
cutting-edge research, are the central mechanisms that can raise the
declining social and economic infrastructure
of the country. Since the 2000s, there has been rapid growth in these
institutions and universities across Pakistan as is evident from the sharp rise
in their numbers from just 32 in 2001 to 160 at present.
Pakistan, despite
rapid growth in the education sector during the past decade, suffers from
severe challenges in its educational development. These challenges include a lack
of access to higher education for the majority of its youth, results-oriented standards of pedagogical techniques, a brain drain of qualified
human resources, and a lack of adaptability to changing paradigms of
academic research. Out of a population of 190 million, only five percent of
them have access to university-level education. It is worth mentioning that, by
the end of 2022, Pakistan needs 36 million new jobs if the economy grows
up to six percent annually.
Therefore, it is the
premier duty of all national universities to produce graduates who fulfill the
criteria of the national, social, and economic needs of the country. In this
regard, the role of career counseling and placement offices at the
university level becomes very important.
In the 21st century,
the paradigm of universities has shifted from traditional aspects of teaching
and learning toward building communities, economies, and patterns of leadership.
Education, either
basic or higher, plays a key role in the development of human capital that
subsequently brings about
the establishment of sound economies and harmonious
communities. There is an immediate need to initiate radical educational reforms
so that these challenges can be addressed proactively. The following is
an exercise in this regard.
To begin with, the
Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Planning Commission, standing
Committee on Basic and Technical Education, and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan should assist these universities, both public and private,
in establishing on-campus university-community partnership centers.
These centers should work on the pattern of think tanks and should
devise mechanisms to address dominant social problems, prepare modules
and
schemes for the outreach of educational facilities, and bridge linkages with
communities for
sharing of knowledge. Secondly, since Pakistan is a traditional society with
different demographical characteristics, whereby more than 30 percent of the
population lives below the poverty line, and more than 600,000 young
graduates are adding to unemployment every year, these higher learning
institutions and universities should develop terms of reference (Torso)
to provide financial assistance to talented individuals who otherwise cannot
afford a university education.
Thirdly, to streamline and ensure effective utilization of public funds allocated for
development of
higher education in Pakistan by the concerned commissions and universities,
the concerned ministries, and planning commissions should primarily focus on
building grassroots-level education in primary schools, especially in
Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Fourth, universities
should focus on creating an entrepreneurial culture among their graduates. They
should produce job creators rather than producing job seekers. This can be
attained through the establishment of effective business incubation
centers, encouraging partnerships between industry and academia, and
placing career counseling offices that should work on the intellectual and
professional development of the graduates during their studies
to prepare
them today for the challenges of tomorrow.
Fifth, education
never means to earn; it means to spend. The best way to spend is spending on
education and research that later on addresses the social, political,
environmental, and economic problems of Pakistan. Universities can play a
vital role in this regard by fostering
reciprocal partnerships with other educational organizations and community
development centers to identify real-life problems. Community development
participation should be made mandatory for teachers and students at the
university level. If the prestigious Australian Endeavour Award can
assign 35 percent of its total evaluation marks towards the contribution of
individual applicants towards community services then why can students at
our universities in Pakistan not be prepared on similar lines? Moreover, since
Pakistan has always been a victim of natural calamities such as floods
and earthquakes, it will be beneficial if
various emergency training programs and courses related to disaster
management are incorporated into the curriculum.
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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