Education Reforms: Bid to strip HEC of financial powers
The federal government has launched another move to take financial control from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) with the intention of handing it to a ministry.
A private member bill, the Higher Education Commission Amendment Bill 2012, was submitted in the cabinet secretariat on April 6 by Pakistan Peoples Party MNAs Nafisa Shah and Yasmeen Rehman, according to sources.
Shah did not confirm the move, saying that no bill has been submitted yet. However, she admitted that work is underway to strengthen and streamline the HEC.
The government reportedly did not disclose the move to avoid any controversy in and outside of parliament as seen in the past when they tried to devolve the HEC to provinces.
The PPP government has vowed to take financial control from the HEC and give it to any ministry aimed at making the commission a mere recommending body for higher education without any financial authority, said sources.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2012.
COMMENTS (26)
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I recommend all the comments to save HEC
what a country ? what a govt ? what a party ?
@Shah: Education is provincial subject as per constitution! Oops did I say constitution ? That only applies to smaller provinces! As long as any system or arrangement benefits big brother all laws are irrelevant? In the name of merit 85% scholar ships went to big brother.....in HEC Bengali left this country and are lucky other wise their share you would have taken.
Please respect constitution! Oops did I say constitution! But that needs interpretation ,by big brother. Who is sitting in supreme court! Big bro Education is provincial subject...... Only in book Natural resources provinces has right on it... Only in book Water lower riparian has more right... Only in book
Biggest brother zia said constitution is 90 page crap he can tear that any time.
The PPP is on a mission to destroy whatever functioning institutes are left in this country. I grow to despise them more every hour.
This is really sad news....the govt. will try to take control every financially independent institutions...as they need more money for corruption...corruption Khape
@janab:
You are right about hollow phd's . I know for certain about British universities which have turned commercial and mercenary to an unbelievable degree , and have drastically reduced their standards for students from the third world countries-----provided they get heavy fees . No need to engage in fruitless debates on this point . Get hold of some phd's , talk to them about their subjects and you will know the truth . Selection boards which appoint university teachers are a big and tragic joke . If the selction boards worked honestly , a very high percentage of hec tenured professors will have no place in a university .
HEC has produced useless PhDs. Instead of investing in the education infrastructure, all the money has been transferred to foreign institutions in return for some useless and good for nothing foreign degree holders.
@sahib:
Unprecedented funding since when? Do you have idea about diminution in HEC"s funds by present government or do you think present government is enough adequate to conduct HEC"s audit while destroying it on the other hand? I am not Musharraf's fan but during Musharraf's regime, HEC (as an institution) was doing something which haven't been done in the history of Pakistan? For instance, take the number of PHD's only.
P.S I like your speech but I am more concerned about something based on logical facts.
HEC was an ill-conceived project ab initio . It has
sent billions down the drain producing nothing but false empty statistics vaunted by HEC spokespersons led by former chairman Dr Ata-ur-Rahman . accorded status of universities to intitutions which do not deserve to be honoured with the title of a college provided tremendous boost to fake research and degrees . Plagiarism has spread like plague . It is the main 'intellectual activity' promoted by billions squandered by HEC and has vitiated th moral fibre of the faculty and adminitra- tion . Before launching of the HEC , our univerities were in very bad shape . After its reformatory programmes , we have lost the very concept , the very idea of what a university is .The most progressive action at this stage that we can take for our universities is to wind up HEC
wn all the institutions are demolished now this is the next on the list . bravo PPP
Please save HEC... all university students will agree... it was the best move by Musharraf please save it ... weather u are in a top instute or a bottom one we all realize how important hec is ... for heavens sake we made the seed with the highest yield ..... 1000s or research paper got published ...about 1000 returning phds and yes especial help on research front for proffessors ... but then how will ppp do curroption on it ... we need a long may for this ... stop hec dissolvement
HEC has been receiving unprecedented funding in the past few years and nothing new has taken place. The HEC has done nothing except awarding huge sums of money to the cronies of people in authority. The standard of education is below abyss. It's time government conducts an audit of the funds passed over to HEC.
There should be a primary education commission in every province which should strengthen the roots of basic education in each and every nook and corner of our homeland with latest computerised education.Laptops distribution is good but we should distribute cheaper laptops to junior class children who cant afford.This will go a long way in building our future generations.
This move will destroy a decade of hard working.....why 2 strip-off HEC from financial resources....is their any corruption uncovered??? shame on this gov.
PPP Politicians know that education is the biggest hindrance to fiefdom and Faqeera Shahi as when people will get educated then Jiala making factories could be closed as people will be wise enough to think in a more elaborated manner without having biased thinking. PPP is the perfect representation by the way for the (Im)Pure People of Pakistan.
@usman786: You are wrong and In my View HEC should focus on PHDs. Because Centre of Excellence could only be achieved when we have PHDs in every field and Every PHD require state funding for his project as they are long term projects. All developed countries have technology incubators in universities and Pakistan should establish tech incubators in Universities and it could only be achieved by the help of strong faculty of highly qualified PHDs and Industrial liaison. Take the example of America and Germany. You know in Germany there are dedicated research institutes which offer PHDs in fields of reasearch along with MSc and that is why Germany is the world leader in tech because of these individuals. So HEC is absolutely on the right path so far. Please do study Fraunhofer and Max Plank socieites who are purely focused on research, long term goals and PHD programs are a vital part in it. We should replicate them in Pakistan as well. http://www.fraunhofer.de/en.html http://www.mpg.de/en
It seems, EVERY THING THAT CAN GO WRONG WILL GO WRONG" in Pakistan.
Nationalization, or governmentalization has been the hall-mark of PPP right from day one (1970s), mainly used as tool to reward fellow workers and keep its vote bank strong - we the nation has paid dearly for the nationalization in the long-term, and seems that misery will not be over any soon!
Our leaders and our voters need to understand that things have changed and open competition is the best way forward for everyone, but guess PPP still want to continue with its stupid style of management for obvious reasons.
Bringing HEC in government control will lead to increased political influences and very much destroy an institution that can best serve the purpose by remaining independent. HEC already is operating under pressure of government any further pressure and this key and most important area will be off to to our politicians for another bumper harvest!
I know HEC has delivered good service, and hope that HEC remains independent!
Pakistan Zindabad
HEC focus should be on Masters scholarship rather than PhD due to less duration thus expenditure. Liaq looag apni jagha khud bana tetay hain by getting PhD foreign scholarships if reallyb have sth special
You cannot expect PPP to do any good for primary education, let alone higher education. After all, the people have to be kept illiterate to get votes. Thats how democracy flourishes in poor countries and hence is the best revenge.
Great decision. Let's get rid of the corrupt mafia making hay while the sun shines in the name of higher education.
They are out to destroy every institute.So unfortunate:(
PPP is bend on destroying HEC... They cant do any good for the country but they are always there to destroy wha is good.....education is the key to Pakistan future... And without financial control HEC wont be able to run its schorlorship programs as they wan.....
now that eduction, a provincial subject - we hardy see respective gentleman 'tyalking about eduction' its present and future structure - we tend to belive and take 'private houses schools' as our building our young generation to new horizens - work of eduction ministries has become more easy - provincial looks after 'welfare of c.m - federal go round the bend and 'butter' p.m. there are mutimillions gesture to share him -e.g court cases, now taking course in pakistani method .....new generation not worried -'papa's there to put on high profile jobs...........its there that poors lots work, these had to work like the period of ceasor the great, slave worked..........././ha ha independence democracy ........freedom!
that is a big mistake.. please stop and make HEC strong instead of weak