HEC chief propose formation of a task force at HEC level to oversee devolution. PHOTO: HEC.GOV.PK
The convener of the National Assembly Sub-Committee on Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education has asked of the top education regulatory body to go beyond its mandated role and help find solutions to issues facing Pakistan.
Taking note of this, while seemingly forgetting the quagmire that the commission is already in, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) chief promised to “soon” share a proposal on the formation of think tanks regarding water, energy, agriculture and other issues in the next meeting and how universities could help in this regard.
The meeting, headed by Member National Assembly (MNA) Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, was called to examine the allocation of grants and scholarships. The committee suggested that the HEC should not be dissolved following the establishment of provincial level higher education bodies.
MNA Chaudhry Hamid Hameed expressed concern over the news that provinces were establishing their own higher education bodies without the formal consent of the HEC.
HEC Acting Chairperson Imtiaz Hussain Gilani commented that they were not opposed to the formation of provincial bodies, but groundwork should be done instead of making rushed decisions.
“It took us almost a decade to build a higher education body that is now an example for other countries. An abrupt end to it may affect quality of education at university level,” he remarked.
He also suggested the formation of a task force at the HEC to oversee the devolution.
The members agreed that the committee will reach out to the provinces to let them know the importance of the HEC at federal level and how they could run their respective bodies.
Hameed was of the view that budgets of universities and registration should remain with the provincial bodies, while the federal HEC should be a a monitoring, ranking and evaluation authority with administrative control of development funds.
Besides, the issue of accreditation councils also came under the discussion. The members were of the view that councils like Pakistan Engineering Councils should come under the commission.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 9th, 2014.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1713853507-0/MalalaHilary-(2)1713853507-0-270x192.webp)
The plot thickens! The politicians of this benighted nation have blown the last trumpet on the Higher Education. The last rites and requiem ( if any) will be performed as eventually and inexorably the Federal HEC is interred and its unfortunate and premature obituary scribed. The flip side is that hopefully HEC will resurrect to morph into the erstwhile UGC . It was a valiant struggle for survival but in Pakistan , corrupt Politicians are rampant and they have indeed driven home the nail in the rigors mortis. How the Provincial HECs will stem the educational downslide is beyond reckoning. However , now all parochial HECs will be heavily politicized and since money and a huge sum of that will be in the offing the CMs and their cronies will all be laughing to their banks. God bless Pakistan!!