Due to financial crunch, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is reviewing to make some certain sort of strategy to stop dispensing permissions for establishment of new universities in the country, Executive Director (ED) General (r) Muhammad Asghar informed a parliamentary body.
He was giving briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training which chaired by Najeeb Ud Din Awaisi. During briefing, the ED said that the commission would not allow increase in current number of varsities in the country until obtain of required budgetary resources, adding that presently the higher education sector is passing through tough financial circumstances.
“There has been cut down Rs 5 billion budget of the HEC which put the entire higher education sector into a difficult stage”, he claimed. To reply a question about the future goals of the commission, General (retd) also linked this with finance by saying that “how it possible to set any certain target with timeframe without money”.
After almost 1 hour speech of HEC principal accounting officer in which he screamed on cuts made in recent budget by the government, no member of the committee, which also includes legislators from the ruling party, including chairperson given proper response to the issue raised by him.
However, ministry of education secretary Arshad Mirza spoke in consoling way by saying that the incumbent government has in its priorities to upgrade education sector. He justified the budgetary cuts of HEC while linking the move with overall country’s sinking economy.
According to the details, number of universities and higher educational institutions increased significantly across the country in last 7 years. Currently, there are over 180 varsities in different parts of the country. Educationists of the view that the increase in universities has badly affected the quality of education. They added that due to poor policies of the HEC, now many varsities are offering several programs without fulfilling basic criteria. While, they recalled, slumbering HEC now wake up and compelled to take action against many varsities violating the set academic rules and the commission has also closed some academic programs of different categories in some varsities those were not following the set policies of the HEC.
While discussing another agenda, MNA Ali Awan annoyed over confused policies and poor management of the Private Educational Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) regarding private schools being functioned in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
Awan, who also belongs to ICT, said that there are over 400 private schools in the territory while the PEIRA has only 3 senior level staffers. “How is it possible for only three officials to look into the affairs of such a huge strength”. He also suggested an external audit of the PEIRA in order to making the picture clear for the public.
He said that due to frail policies of this authority the courts have to intervene in the matter for public interest. “Why the authority leaves such loopholes while taking any sort of decisions by which the courts compelled to take action”, he regretted.
Awan said that PEIRA did nothing to streamline the system in the private schools due to which all schools are practicing money making policies. He also suggested that a balance policy should be introduced which would satisfactory both for parents as well as private school owners.
Finally, the committee recommended formulation of a four-member sub- committee to review exclusively all affairs of the PEIRA. The fee being charged by the private schools and Supreme Court orders in this regard were special tasks that has been given to the committee for review.
