Education sector most under-funded | Student returns from UK
Education an under-funded sector: survey
Islamabad, June 12: The government acknowledged on Thursday that education
sector remained one of the most under-funded sectors during the last year due to
ongoing financial constraints. According to Economic Survey 2008-2009
released here by the Adviser on Economic Affairs Shaukat Tarin, public
expenditure on education stood at 2.1 per cent of the gross domestic product
(GDP). However, overall literacy rate has improved from 55 per cent in 2007-2008
to 56 per cent in 2008-2009, the survey revealed. The trend of
investment in the sector in terms of GDP has been 2.5 and 2.47 per cent during
2006-07 and 2007-8 respectively. It is on the lower side compared with its
requirements given the importance of the sector. The budget allocation has
increased by 8.6 per cent in 2008-9 against an increase of 17 per cent in
2007-8. During the outgoing financial year, the government originally
committed Rs6.508 billion to implementation of 85 different projects of the
federal education ministry. However, later the Planning and Development Division
and Finance Division imposed a 33 per cent cut and deprived the ministry of
Rs2.028 billion. Eventually the ministry could only receive Rs4.186 billion.
According to the Pakistan Social and Living Measurement (PSLM) survey
data for 2007-8 quoted in ESP 2008-2009, the overall literacy rate stands at 56
per cent; 69 per cent for male and 44 per cent for female. Literacy rate
in Punjab stood at 59 per cent followed by Sindh (56 per cent), NWFP (49 per
cent) and Balochistan with 46 per cent. The overall school attendance (10 years
and above) is 58 per cent; 71 per cent for male and 46 per cent for female in
2007-8. According to the education ministry, there are currently 227,243
educational institutions in the country and the overall enrolment is recorded at
34.49 million with teaching staff of 1.27 million On the higher
education side, the Higher Education Commission during last year awarded charter
to 28 new universities and degree awarding institutions in public and private
sector. Enrollment at the universities and degree awarding institutions
increased by 124 per cent, from 331,745 in year 2002-3 to 741,092 in the year
2007-8. Pakistani universities produced 613 PhDs during 2008 as compared
to 420 during 2007-8. Students who had left for overseas for MS and PhD on the
HEC scholarships have started coming back and serving the country.
Public spending on the higher education increased from Rs7,723.4 million
during 2002-3 to Rs2,8741.677 million during 2006-7 showing an increase of
272.14 per cent. Economic crisis in the country started in year 2007-8 and got
worse during 2008-9, impact of which was also felt by higher education sector. Dawn
Post your comments
Student returns from UK, calls detention 'mental torture'
Islamabad:: One of several Pakistani students rounded up by British
authorities on allegations of terrorism – later dropped – has described his
detention as `mental torture' after returning to Islamabad. The case has
strained relations between Britain and Pakistan, especially after British
authorities failed to produce enough evidence to back up the terror charges but
insisted on deporting the students anyway. "I fail to understand still
why they kept us under detention," Tariqur Rehman told reporters in brief
comments at the Islamabad airport. "We were accused of being Islamic
extremists." Twelve people, most of them Pakistanis in Britain on
student visas, were arrested in dramatic daytime operations across England on
April 8. The arrests were rushed in part because one of the country's
top counter-terrorism officers inadvertently exposed details of the operation to
a photographer outside the prime minister's office. "I think the mental
torture is worse than physical torture," Mr Rehman said. He declined to say if
he would sue Britain. Britain's embassy in Islamabad said Mr Rehman had
agreed to voluntary deportation. AP
Post your comments
FPSC clarifies news item
Islamabad: The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) through a press release
clarified a news item appeared regarding
functioning of the FPSC in the absence of its Chairman. A very grim and
contrary to the factual position has been narrated in the story. It suggests as
if the functioning of the commission has stopped altogether, which is based on
lack of information. It is clarified that the commission was established under
FPSC Ordinance, 1977. It functions in accordance with the same ordinance. It is
the commission that matters. Presently, eight members of the commission are
performing their duties with devotion following highly structured procedures.
The commission conducted CSS Examination - 2009 from April 25, 2009 to May 12,
2009 in 19 cities, having 59 centers with enrolment of 9046 candidates. It was a
very successful conduct of examination and no untoward incident was reported
from anywhere in the country. Secondly, the interviews fixed by the
commission are being conducted in all the provincial headquarters and federal
capital as per schedule. Thirdly, in last week of June, 2009 the commission has
scheduled a marathon examination comprising 36 cases with enrolment of 34046
candidates in 9 big cities of the country. Examination centers have been
reserved, candidates have been issued admission cards and the supervisory staff
has also been deputed. The FPSC is fully geared up to conduct the examination.
Against this backdrop, it is quite obvious that the story is based more
on supposition and less on facts. The commission is fully functional and
responsive to its functions and responsibilities, as under the law even if some
vacancy is lying vacant, the commission keeps on functioning. Ansar
Abbasi adds: Three major facts included in my story are simply not touched by
the FPSC clarification. These are 1) In the absence of chairman, the allocations
for the CSS candidates are still awaited. 2) The nominations made by the
committees against dozens of vacancies are also waiting for the new chairman to
forward them to the concerned government departments; 3) Fresh appointments
sought by the government departments also wait for the new chairman, who has to
make committees of FPSC members for interviews of the candidates. In the absence
of the chairman any of the above three functions could not be performed by any
member or officials of the commission. The News
Post your comments
| 
