Lack of funds jeopardises higher education sector

He said, "In its design it is highly innovative, ambitious directed to modernize the entire higher educational system in the country to respond to country's future needs. Since its establishment, HEC has launched a number of projects including award of 2500 fellowships to young promising scientists for PhD level studies in foreign universities, establishment of digital library providing access to about 23,000 international journals and 35000 textbooks from 220 international publishers. HEC is also embarking on a series of reforms, such as improving conditions of universities, quality of research publications, curbing such evils as plagiarism and similar other weaknesses noticed at the institutional levels.

The general criticism that HEC will overshadow the massive educational needs of our many schools and colleges that fall under the purview of the Ministry of Education, in my view, does not hold water.

There can't be two opinions on the urgent need to strengthening this important part of the education sector. On the contrary, any feed back from higher education reforms on a continuing basis to lower educational system as proposed, could only go a long way towards strengthening the system thus achieving the over all national objectives. Similarly, criticism of its huge spending (4 per cent of GDP) can not be upheld."

By the decision of the federal finance department, a debate on the future of the HEC has been started in the literary circles of the country. However, the government unwillingness towards promotion of higher education sector in the country is also being depreciated educational and literary circles.