KARACHI:
Recently, students and academics have raised concerns over non-permanent faculty members in several higher education institutes in the country. Many teaching positions are occupied by visiting faculty members including retired professors who are not able to provide the same level of commitment and expertise as permanent faculty members.
Many qualified and competent individuals including PhD holders are unemployed due to limited vacancies in permanent positions at universities. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) must address the issue by implementing policies that prioritise the hiring of permanent faculty members. This will improve the quality of higher education as well as create employment opportunities. Permanent faculty members will dedicate more time to teaching and engaging with students, which can improve academic research and innovation. It will also ensure consistency in the teaching curriculum increasing the likelihood of strong academic outcomes.
Due to the absence of permanent faculties, many universities are experiencing staff shortages in different departments because of which they have either had to close down the department or allocate all responsibilities to whoever is available. This is hampering the quality of education as well as reducing academic choices for students. Therefore, the HEC should urge all universities to hire permanent faculty. All departments should be staffed with qualified professors and tutors to improve educational standards and facilitate students.
Raja Asad Azad
Muzaffarabad
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2023.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
