K-P favours colleges over universities

PUTA president says ignoring universities in budget will make higher education unaffordable for poor

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has almost completely neglected the public sector universities in the provincial budget 2017-18 and has instead given priority to upgrading colleges in the province.

According to the documents of the K-P budget 2017-18, Annual Development Programme has been allocated Rs6.320 billion, which will be spent on 65 higher education schemes, including Rs3.996 billion for 38 ongoing schemes and Rs2.323 billion for 27 new schemes.

In the provincial budget 2016-17, Rs9.297 billion had been allocated for higher education, which was later revised downward to Rs8.533 billion. However, the allocation for higher education in the budget 2017-18 is at Rs11.993 billion, which is 26 per cent higher when compared with the previous fiscal’s allocation.



The new schemes for colleges in the budget documents include; upgrading of directorate of archives and public libraries, provision of additional or missing facilities, lab equipment, establishment of Government College of Management Sciences in Tordher in Swabi, and development of computer labs for BS Commerce programme.

While for the public sector universities, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University and Sheringal University in Chitral will be merged to form a full-fledged Chitral University.

Education experts say that nothing has been kept for universities in the budget which reveals the level of seriousness of the current government regarding prioritising higher education in the province.



Talking to The Express Tribune Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) President and University of Peshawar’s Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies Director Jamil Chitrali said, “Universities are ignored in the budget which will not only affect students’ studies but would make higher education unaffordable for the poor.”

He said that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment higher education had been made a provincial subject while the higher education department played no role in the advancement of higher education.

The PUTA president said, “Currently there are around 19 public sector universities. Most of them are newly-established universities, which require huge amounts to fulfil their requirement, while the government has allocated nothing for the advancement of these universities.”



He said, “Chitral University is under construction and needs Rs5.0 billion for completion, while the government has solely allocated funds for upgrading the building.”

He said, “Of the 15 universities without permanent vice chancellors for years, VCs for only eight universities have been appointed, while seven are still without them.”

He demanded of the government to financially support universities and take tangible steps for their development.



A higher education expert and Khwendo Kor (KK) organisation Regional Manager Ibrash Pasha also criticised the provincial government for ignoring universities in the new budget.

He said, “It will not only disturb the studies of the students, but will also spoil the standard and quality of education.”

If the government does not financially support universities it will create a hurdle in the way of research because universities do not have enough funds to establish libraries and provide other essential equipment.

He urged the government to take all these factors into consideration and prioritise universities for the bright future of the students.