Sept 09 , 2015
News
‘Implement HEC’s yardsticks to ensure quality in higher education’
APP
ISLAMABAD – In Pakistan, private sector universities are proving a boon for students aspiring for higher or professional education, who otherwise would have missed the bus by just a whisker in the bygone years.
In yesteryears, the deficit of a mark than the benchmark number would prevent a student from admission in a medical or engineering college and shatter his dream of becoming a doctor or engineer, or passing out from such institutions as the Quaid-i-Azam University, Karachi University, Peshawar University or the Punjab University.
A surfeit of private sector universities has opened new avenues for such students provided they have sufficient marks, work hard and most importantly their families have spare cash to support their education. Former federal minister for education and former Higher Education Commission chairman Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rahman said indeed it was creativity and innovation that can make international ranking of a university.
He said that the socio-economic development was not possible without linking knowledge with economy. He said it was need of the hour to focus on education at all levels and disciplines to go with the pace of time. However, Dr Atta said that the quality of the higher education could only be enhanced if the implementation of the HEC-introduced yardsticks were ensured in higher institutions of learning.
– Environment of competition –
Dr Muhammad Sheeraz – head of the English Language Centre of the International Islamic University Islamabad – said that Pakistan's transition into the global knowledge economy depends on a robust system of higher education. He said that the public sector was unable to cope with the surging demand of higher education and there was a need to encourage the private sector.
However, he said most of the emerging private educational institutions didn't meet the HEC prescribed criteria and hence very often the educational standards were compromised. Dr Sheeraz said that the private sector universities had created an environment of competition and young PhD scholars were attracted towards these institutions due to attractive salary packages, which had also created job opportunities for many.
He said as per the HEC rules, no university could offer MS or PhD programme without having at least two PhD's in the department. He also said that the non-recognised degree awarding institutions were offering admissions, awarding degrees and giving advertisement in newspapers for a long-time before the HEC could make them blacklisted.
– Special committee for monitoring –
Dr Manzoor Afridi – assistant professor at the IIUI’s Department of International Relations – said that the HEC should constitute a special committee for regular monitoring of private-sector universities. He said that the admission criteria was getting very low, which was why, a number of students below than average and incapable of getting admission in any well-reputed university were enrolled in the private institutions as long as they could afford the hefty tuition fees and other charges.
Dr Afridi said that the most of the private universities and colleges were lacking qualified faculty members, proper infrastructure and research facilities, libraries, laboratories, latest scientific equipment, teaching aids, and control on plagiarism. Pakistan Engineering Council spokesperson Mehmood Rehmani said that the same criterion was followed for accreditation of public and private engineering institutions. Only students of accredited institutions were registered with the council as engineers said.
He also said that a team of experts visits regularly the newly-established and already working engineering institutions to check whether it meets the required standards of the council or not. HEC’s Media and Public Relations Director Ayesha Ikram said a list of 171 HEC recognised universities and 151 non-recognised educational institutions were uploaded on the commission's website for public information.
She said that the students were warned time and again through newspapers and other media not to get admission in the non-recognised universities. Dr Atta said that the approved HEC criteria for establishing a new university of higher education should be strictly implemented for maintaining international standards of higher education in Pakistan.
However, he said that failing to comply with the HEC prescribed rules, in case of a new institution, charter should not be given, and in case of a running educational institution, charter should be withdrawn. Muhammad Hamad – a private university student – said the sole motive behind establishing private universities, medical and engineering colleges was to generate maximum revenue with minimum investment.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk