Govt aims to strengthen IT education

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Division Senator Ahad Cheema has called for establishing a comprehensive mechanism to address the issue of unaccredited IT institutions, protect students from enrolling in unrecognised programmes and ensure that IT graduates possess internationally competitive skills.

Chairing a high-level meeting to review the IT Skills Assessment Test and the accreditation framework for computing education, the minister asked the Ministry of Information Technology to ascertain the number of graduates completing their degrees from unaccredited institutions and examine the extent of the problem. He emphasised the need for coordinated measures to prevent admissions to institutions and programmes lacking the required accreditation. The minister directed the authorities concerned to develop a mechanism for identifying unaccredited institutions and ensuring that prospective students had access to reliable information about the accreditation status of universities, affiliated colleges and individual programmes before seeking admission.

Reviewing the IT Skills Assessment Test, in which more than 33,000 students from 188 institutions participated, Ahad Cheema called for aligning the assessment framework with international standards and the evolving requirements of the technology industry.

He emphasised that the credibility of assessment process must be ensured through appropriate scrutiny, quality assurance and institutional checks and balances. He directed that a comprehensive report should be prepared on the performance of participating institutions, including an analysis of competency test results to identify institutions requiring corrective measures.

He underlined the need for examining discrepancies between academic qualifications and practical competencies, particularly in cases where students successfully complete degree requirements but fail the skills assessment, or pass the assessment despite not completing their degrees. Such cases require a thorough examination of academic standards, assessment methodologies and the alignment of university curricula with industry requirements. Senator Cheema stressed the importance of stronger industry-academia collaboration to ensure that IT education translates into employable skills and meaningful job opportunities.

He directed relevant authorities to engage the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) and other industry stakeholders to align competency assessments, professional certifications and academic programmes with actual requirements of the IT sector.

The meeting also discussed the proposed introduction of mandatory competency assessments at different stages of academic programmes. The minister gave directives that implications of the proposal, particularly for students and educational institutions, be carefully examined before finalising any decision. Reviewing the existing accreditation framework, the minister underscored enhanced coordination among the Higher Education Commission, the National Computing Education Accreditation Council, the Ministry of Information Technology and relevant federal and provincial authorities.

He advocated that provincial higher education authorities be brought on board and relevant education secretaries be engaged to develop a coordinated approach to institutional accreditation and quality assurance.

Cheema emphasised the need to strengthen public awareness regarding accredited and non-accredited institutions. An assessment should also be conducted of existing awareness initiatives, including their reach and engagement on social media, to determine whether prospective students are receiving the necessary information.

The meeting reviewed the participation and performance of various institutions, including the Virtual University, and discussed the need for closer scrutiny of assessment results and institutional performance.

Senator Cheema gave instructions that institutions be provided with a structured mechanism to identify weaknesses in their academic programmes and undertake necessary improvements. He underlined that the objective of the initiative must be to establish a credible, transparent and industry-responsive skills assessment framework that improves the quality of IT education, safeguards students' interests and enhances the employability of Pakistani graduates.