Major Issues of Higher Education in Pakistan - Literature review Example

Major Issues of Higher Education in Pakistan Major Issues of Higher Education in Pakistan This paper aims to discuss the major issues of higher education in Pakistan. It is unfortunate that none of the universities in country actually meet the international standards of higher education except for few. The quality of education is even poorer as compared to neighboring countries including Iran and India where standards and national education policies are much better. When it comes to higher education then teachers are expected to train students in a way that they can add value to society while also thinking critically about complex matters concerning human life. But in Pakistan in majority cases the notes are dictated to students while the examinations can be categorized as memory tests. On the other hand students are highly undisciplined and a considerable number of teachers openly commit academic fraud (Hoodbhoy, 2009). Moreover, classes are not conducted according to the academic calendar due to reasons such as criminal activities within the campus or irregular national holidays. All of these are ground level issues which directly influence the quality of higher education in Pakistan while also impacting the future career of students and their reputation internationally. In a broader perspective, the major issues of higher education in Pakistan can be distinguished into following categories: Colleges The policies made for higher education completely neglect the importance of colleges. Majority students from public institutions join colleges after schooling. However, the college education is worse than the schools and universities in Pakistan. Students hardly attend regular classes in college while on the other side they are compelled to join local learning centers where instructors prepare them for final exams in a highly unprofessional manner. Furthermore, the infrastructure of colleges in the country is poor and highly obstructive in fulfilling the students’ education needs. This subsequently impacts the quality of education in universities which significantly depend upon colleges for student admissions. One research indicates that there are approximately 900 colleges which cater to 400,000 students. However, these colleges are the weakest element in the entire education system of Pakistan because all of the initiatives to develop this education sector have been neglected (Shaukat, 2006). The colleges do not have research and training facilities whereas textbooks and learning materials produce such students which are highly incapable of getting in to the universities. Policies and Governance The Higher Education Commission is unable to recruit responsible and qualified faculty members which have further deteriorated the condition of public sector universities. Pakistan has ignored its education sector ever since its independence and this is primarily reflected by the fact that only 2% of the GNP is spent on education whereas the minimum expenditure should be 4%. Another issue is that only 3% of students between the age group 17-23 pursue higher education (Shaukat, 2006). In addition to this, the governance of universities in Pakistan is significantly inconsistent, problematic, imperfect and disputable (Akhtar, 2010). Based on the organizational structure the university governance can be distinguished in following factors: Poor planning and incorrect strategic decisions for meeting the needs of research institutions. Pre-requisites are not validated during the admission procedure. Least credit is given to the expert competence, rule of law, ethics and social responsibilities. Faculty Issues The standard and quality of teachers is actually the fundamental elements in any education system around the world. However, it is also ignored and poorly managed in Pakistan. The issue starts from the level of primary school when teachers are appointed on very low qualifications and experience. Various studies indicate that students’ achievement is associated with formal schooling of teachers. Hence students of those teachers who have 12 or more years of education perform considerably better than students of teachers who have only 10 or 8 years formal education (Memon, 2007). Similar situation is observed in higher education system where teachers are significantly less qualified for the positions of university professors and instructors which represent another major issue in education system of Pakistan. Gender Differences Apart from the problematic educational policies one of the major issues in higher education is gender difference. There is significant inequality among male and female students. Some fields are purely dedicated to females on societal level, for instance, medical profession. Contrary to this engineering and technology departments are usually filled with male students. Education provides many benefits apart from the acquisition of social power and therefore there should not be gender differences. The mind development, critical thinking, management skills and administration are all linked with education. If females are discouraged to enroll in universities then it is hard to expect that Pakistan will progress on national level. Moreover, since majority female students acquire same type of education therefore there are significant issues related to self esteem and confidence. Education for females in possibly all fields is also necessary for their healthy lifestyle and later parenting phase (Memon, 2007). Other Issues Concerning Higher Education Research reveals that equal opportunity and organizational structures are actually influenced by both the micro and macro social factors (Ali, 2013). Since women face gender discrimination at the university level therefore they are exposed to similar issues during their stay at organizations which certainly reflects the lower moral values taught at the higher education institutions. Although research activities are increasing in Pakistan but overall there is a huge gap between the demand and supply of professionals who can actually conduct quality research work (Mahmood, 2010). Furthermore, the private sector universities are found to be receptive to the real market demands while allowing youth to access better education facilities. However, these facilities are still inadequate as compared to the number of individuals pursuing higher education in the country (Halai, 2013). In order to meet the international requirements of higher education students in Pakistan’s universities can build a closer relationship with librarians because studies have indicated a positive response from library staff in major universities of the country (Bhatti, 2009). Additionally, teachers training can help in meeting the goals for higher education on short term basis. Other than this government is strictly required to increase education expenditures while also improving the higher education policies in Pakistan. References Akhtar, MMS & Kalsoom, T 2010, ‘Issues of Universities’ Governance in Pakistan’ Journal of Elementary Education, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 81-94. Ali, F 2013, ‘A multi-level perspective on equal employment opportunity for women in Pakistan’ Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 3, pp.289 – 309. Bhatti, R 2009, ‘Interpersonal relationships: students, teachers and librarians in university libraries of Pakistan’ Library Review, vol. 58 Iss: 5, pp.362 - 371 Halai, N 2013, ‘Quality of private universities in Pakistan: An analysis of higher education commission rankings 2012’ International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 27, no. 7, pp.775 – 786. Hoodbhoy, P 2009, ‘Pakistan’s Higher Education System—What Went Wrong and How to Fix It’ The Pakistan Development Review, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 581–594. Memon, GR 2007, ‘Education in Pakistan: The Key Issues, Problems and The New Challenges’ Journal of Management and Social Sciences, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 47-55. Mahmood, K & Shafique, F 2010, ‘Changing research scenario in Pakistan and demand for research qualified LIS professionals’ Library Review, vol. 59, no. 4, pp.291 – 303. Shaukat, MH 2006, ‘A Report on Higher Education in Pakistan’ Promotion of Education in Pakistan Foundation, Inc. Read More