How to Improve Higher Education In Pakistan

How to improve the education system in Pakistan is the most asked question in Pakistan. Educated people are known as the opulence of the nation. Without them, a nation could never prosper and progress in any field.

Higher Education plays a vital role in creating such individuals for the country’s growth and development. It imparts in-depth knowledge of the existence and expands horizons beyond measures.

In the era of globalization and advancing competencies, higher education is mandatory for survival. It is the most powerful and strongest tool for constructing a modern, astute, and disciplined society that can lead to a country’s brighter future.

Education in Pakistan, What went wrong?

To grasp such empowering tool, improved quality of higher education is required. Unfortunately, in terms of quality for higher education, Pakistan’s rank is found nowhere in the top worldwide ranking. Pakistan’s education is hugely neglected throughout the years due to multidimensional issues. These massive challenges are economic, political, inadequate implementation of policies, instability, handling terrorism, lack of funding, and corruption.

Delivering quality education require various favorable factors and fine standards. The overall situation of the country is not completely unstable however, it is slowly deteriorating and lagging behind in achieving many educational means.

Reforms for Higher Education in Pakistan

To control these arising issues and alarming drawbacks, evaluation and reforming the educational system is a dire need of an hour.

Improving Quality of Education

The existence of inadequate standards from the decades of negligence has taken a toll on the educational system and its students.  The HEC is well-aware of the crisis, it is trying to improvise the falling scope by gearing up the educational system to fulfill the requirements of its people.

Furthermore, to enhance the quality of education, universities are required to swap their frame of mind and facilitate their learners to develop intellectual and societal capacities. Students should be knowledge-focused rather than degree-focused.

The PhD Deficit

According to the official sources, Pakistan has only 34.2% of the Ph.D. in total. The Ph.D. deficit has always been emphasized. However, it is reverted back due to several limitations. Many candidates abandon the idea to enroll because of the high fee structure, longevity of commitment without any stipend, and lack of research funding.

Ph.D. program policies should be evaluated properly for both candidates and degree holders. Pakistan needs more qualified and real Ph.D. scholars for revamping their educational policies.

Qualified and Resourceful Faculty

One of the major glitches in the educational sector is the quality of teaching faculty. If we compare to the universities of India and Iran, the quality of both teaching and research is much feeble. Mere dictation of copied down notes is considered a part of teaching methodology.

Assessments and examinations are for memory testing, student indiscipline is consistent, and academic fraud is committed by many. To rationalize the situation, there should be strict monitoring of the faculty members. Institutes must conduct evaluation assessments to measure the intellectual skill level of an individual before hiring. Training should be given to the hired staff to strengthen their competencies.

Transforming the Curriculum

Another major problem is the current obsolete curriculum taught at the higher level. To reform the standards, it is obligatory to transform the whole outdated curriculum into more advanced up-to-date content. To enhance students’ capacities, a hands-on practical learning approach should be implemented with moderate theoretical-based studies to generate critical thinking and independence.

Equal syllabus opportunities must be provided to both government and private institutions. More than half of Pakistan’s community belongs to the labor background. Technical courses should be encouraged to be included in the curriculum to confine unemployment and build students’ technical skills.

Use of ICT tools in Education

Implementing technology will not only reform the courses through learning management but it will also provide proper surveillance and restrict cheating in the examination. Using tech-based learning methodologies will expand students’ knowledge capabilities favoring putting an end to the cramming system/Rattafication.

Career Counselling

Proper guidance should be provided to both students and their parents. After completing school, many students do not have a clue about selecting an appropriate niche. By initiating counsel community and adapting the American collegiate system, students will be allowed to explore their own relevant field.

Revise spending priorites

The core wisdom to solve each plaguing problem is to revise the investment policies conducted by the higher authorities. According to the Islamabad Research Policy Institute, Pakistan spends only 2.8% of GDP on education with 11% is associated with the development expenditure.

Adequate funding for infrastructure, suitable facilities, and research equipment, stipend for students can altogether improvise the quality of education and limits the drop-out ratio.  

Quality Education

Higher Authorities of Pakistan must ensure that Quality Assurance Cells are properly functioning within each educational department. This will assist to implement the orthodox and seize institutional business mafias and student political influence within the premises.

The Road a head

Despite having great challenges, special initiatives are taken by a collaboration of the Government of Pakistan and HEC. Official sources have confirmed that HEC has improvised the Entry Testing Council (ETC) to standardize the entry test for higher study admissions.

The HEC has also revamped of National Research Framework to advance academic as well as applied research culture in the higher education sectors. They are offering grants like Grand Challenge Fund (GCF), Local Challenge Fund (LCF), Technology Transfer Support Fund (TTSF), Innovative & Collaborative Research Grant (ICRG) to the creative researchers to assist them.

Sadaf Ahmad is an Internee at STUDENTINN SOLUTIONS. She contributes as Content Intern.