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HEC & substandard private universities
Lahore, Feb 16, 2008: June would be quite decisive for private universities in the
country, as Higher Education Commission (HEC) will close down those, which do
not meet its minimum criteria.
Earlier, HEC had warned substandard
private universities across the country to fulfil the minimum criteria laid down
in this connection otherwise these might face closures and withdrawal of
charters converting these into colleges.
For the first time in 2002, the
Chancellors' Committee meeting, chaired by President Musharraf, had set a
deadline of February 28, 2007 for private degree awarding institutes to meet the
criteria in five years time.
In 2005, HEC published "Parent Alert"
advertisements in national newspapers warning people about the substandard
private universities.
The move had sparked a controversy and a number of
private universities had criticised HEC saying that the advertisements did not
have a healthy impression on students of such institutions while these
institutes were in process of improving their standards.
Interestingly in
2006, the Chancellors Committee meeting decided to extend the deadline till June
30, 2008.
In 2007, the HEC had relaxed its criteria for the establishment
of an institution of higher education in the private sector. Reportedly, HEC had
amended the criteria following requests of provincial governments, especially of
the Punjab.
In this regard, HEC Attestation & Accreditation Director
General Muhammad Javed Khan said the Chancellors Committee had decided to curb
the menace of mushrooming substandard universities by not granting charters to
them without adequate PhD holders in its faculty.
"It had been decided
in principle to close down institutions or to convert these to colleges on June
30, 2008, which don't meet the minimum criteria," he said.
Replying to a
question, he said almost all the private universities in Punjab had improved and
met the criteria owing to which action was unlikely in Punjab in June.
However, he expressed his dissatisfaction over performance of some
universities in Sindh and Azad Jammu & Kashmir. He said final action
regarding closure or withdrawal of charters will taken by the Chancellors
Committee.
Academic circles have urged the government not to extend the
deadline this time and take stern action against such private universities,
which are not meeting criteria set for this purpose. They said no compromise
should be made on quality and standard of education. The News
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