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Higher Education Status in Pakistan
Higher Education in Pakistan, stuck in a state of disarray
| Nov 05: Education in Pakistan, by and large, remained for years stuck in a state of
disarray. It seemed to have been caught in the fury of a whirlwind spawned by
neglect, an entrenched incompetence and 'lack of foresight on the part of those
calling the shots from their positions of responsibility. |
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Higher education in particular suffered the most. Given a cold shoulder, it tended to denigrate and
had all but lost itself in the blind alleys of ignorance and
mismanagement.
The upshot of this deepening decadence was a comedown on
university campuses, witnessed in the falling standards of academic excellence,
and in the eroding luster of their names and prestige. Sustained strategic
vision, drive and ambition for the pursuit of excellence and motivated service
to society do reckon as some of the essential marks of distinction of an
institution of higher learning.
Which in our case had over time vanished into
an oblivion leaving behind mediocrity instead of brains to rule the roost with
obvious consequences. There was a rot that had set in and called for redress.
All this while the nation, impaled in a straitjacket of status quo yet
anticipating dawn of better days for this creative field, had been attempting to
make do with a ramshackle system that risked losing out to a highly competitive
world.
Fortunately, however, things started taking an extraordinary
turnaround, sparked by a combined force of a reconceptualized and reinvigorated
Higher Education Commission and the blazing leadership provided by Chairman Dr
Atta-ur-Rehman a superbly qualified academician and highly acclaimed scientist
the world over for his outstanding contributions. His appearance on the scene
and taking in hand the reins of higher education was a historic event. It
signalled a reversal of fortunes for the mismanaged and enfeebled higher
education sector.
Dr Atta-ur-Rehman was excellently fitted to play the role
and created an esprit de corps between various universities of the country and
led them through a process of transformation to achieve a level of excellence in
higher education comparable with that of contemporary sister institutions
elsewhere in the developed world. His success stories have done us all proud. A
few may be specifically narrated here to help the reader fully grasp their
impact.
*The nation's universities that had felt stalled for years and
forced to lead a cash-strapped, unfulfilled life were for the first time
delivered from this handicap. Their operating budgets were rationalized and
revised upward commensurate with the creative nature and volume of their
mandated responsibilities. This was a most progressive step ever taken as also a
candid message for the universities to run full steam and deliver.
*Again
this happened for the first time. The university faculty, bracketed all its
lifetime with ordinary cadres of public service, was lifted way above other
categories of routine occupations, by introducing handsomely revised terms and
conditions of service. On the one hand, this was a big step forward to brighten
up campus atmosphere and, on the other, it meant to be an acknowledgement of the
important role the faculty played in the process of improving higher
education.
*On the physical side, the university infrastructure was
updated, covering each and every department and discipline maintained on a
campus hopefully to create a workplace furnished appropriately to stimulate
unfettered growth of high-profile creative activity. The installation of certain
state-of-the art electronic fixtures on university campuses has provided
exceptional communication facilities greatly impacting the-time-and-space
relationship on campuses.
*A widely held public impression on the state
of the health of higher education in the country was that there existed a strong
tendency on the part of many universities to go about conducting their study
programmes regardless of an ageing curriculum that had lost touch with time.
Thus more often than not their programmes ended up partronizing inanities and
redundancies at great peril to the national interest. This is wasteful and
unbecoming to an institution of higher learning and had to be addressed on a
priority' basis. The Higher Education Commission moved swiftly on this issue and
prevailed upon the universities to revise and rewrite their entire body of laws
and curriculums comprehensively in order to steer clear of obsolescence and stay
abreast of time as viable institutions, which are focused on promoting orderly
change, people's well being, happiness and a life with a purpose steeped in
human values.
*Production of a highly qualified and properly trained
workforce is an achievement that the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has
done an excellent job pulling off in a limited timeframe. This is a welcome
outcome of their launching carefully developed policy initiatives targeting
capacity building in universities, improvement of quality and credibility of
research programmes and what is very important, the output of postgraduates who
feel enthusiastic about the challenges in the years ahead, in particular Ph.Ds
coming out of them. Attractive incentives for Ph.D. studies to go through on
local campuses and abroad have been prescribed as an effective instrument to
accelerate production of future leaders of our destinies. Very deservedly, the
Higher Education Commission merits our sincere compliments for having sponsored
ways and means that can inspire sustained growth of high-class creativity. In
this manner, campuses could become the real citadels of higher learning HEC is
aiming at.
*The reincarnation of the former University Grants Commission as Higher
Education Commission of Pakistan was well conceived and well designed to tread a
path well laid out and to make the best of the Chairman's inexhaustible
energies. Under his dynamic stewardship HEC has already logged a great mileage
in terms of reform and renewal of things on campuses. Figuratively, as the
guardian angel of higher education the commission is pulling its weight to step
up the process of change and develop the lagging sector to a level of its lost
glory. It is gratifying to see HEC brilliantly succeeding in the fulfillment of
its mission and winning its spurs. May it stay the course!
By Dr A. Rehman
The writer is former Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. (The Nation)
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Shooting in Islami College Civil Lines creates panic
Lahore, Nov 05: Panic spread among students, employees and faculty members of Govt
Islami College Civil Lines when some unknown persons, including one alleged
student of the college, resorted to aerial firing within the college premises on
Tuesday.
The incident, in which the hooligans succeeded to flee from the
scene, not only exposed flawed security arrangements of the college
administration but also "efficiency" of police force as the college is situated
right in front of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations' office.
Soon after the incident a large number of students came out on the road
in front of the college and while staging a protest demonstration they condemned
the incident. They chanted slogans against the hooligans and demanded stern
action against those involved. The demo also caused traffic mess on the road.
The college administration claims that the number of hooligans was
around five whereas students belonging to Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), which has
strong footing here, claims those involved in the incident were more than a
dozen.
Principal of Govt Islamia College Civil Lines Dr Ali Zaheer Minhas
told The News that some unknown persons entered the college premises around
11.30 am and shot around four fires in the air. He added the intruders could not
be identified.
He further said soon after the incident he met SSP Shafiq
Gujjar and registered a complaint about the incident.
He said the motive
of the crime could not be known adding however it created panic among students,
teachers and employees.
To a question Dr Minhas said the hooligans might
have entered the college from the car parking entrance (near the
Aiwan-e-Adl)adding students saw these persons fleeing while climbing over walls
from the same location. However addressing a press conference, after the
incident, the college IJT nazim Irfan Idrees and other office-bearers said
around one dozen outsiders including one of the college students were involved
in the incident. They added the hooligans damaged the college property by
breaking windowpanes of the common room.
They further said some outside
forces wanted to create unrest at the college adding Jamiat would make all out
efforts to ensure peaceful academic atmosphere at the college. The students
would be united to foil such conspiracies, they said while demanding the
government to award stern punishment to those involved in the
hooliganism.
Irfan Idrees told The News that one, Zain Aslam, was
identified as third year student of the college adding the cause of the incident
could not be ascertained. He further said he had submitted a complaint on behalf
of the college student about the incident in the Islampura Police
Station.
He said the hooligans not only resorted to aerial firing but
they also fired at the common room, previously used as union office.
To
a question he said involved of some other student organization could not be
ruled out. He further said the incident was a conspiracy to create unrest among
the students.
Meanwhile on complaint of student Irfan Idrees Islampura
police have registered a case against Zain Aslam and 12 unidentified persons
under sections 324, 148, 149, 452 and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The News
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| Education News | | Updated: 09 Feb, 2012 |
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