Uni 1 introduction to higher education
- 3. After studying this unit students will be able; *Define and describe Higher Education *Analyze the nature, need and scope of Higher Education *Elaborate significant aspects of perspective planning of Higher Education *Critically examine the provision of Higher Education in Pakistan *Objectives of the unit
- 4. The term Higher Education refers to the colleges and Universities where graduate and post graduate courses are being offered along with research programmes like M Phil, Ph. D and Post-Doctoral studies. Students aged 18+ Higher education is a form of formal learning, in which education is provided by universities, colleges, graduate school, etc. and completed with a diploma. Introduction to Higher Education
- 5. Higher education is the last phase of the academic learning process after the high school stage, focused at universities, colleges or technical training academy at a professional level. Higher education is a program that is regulated by laws and educational frameworks as stipulated by different countries for students to acquire knowledge at colleges and universities, with the aim of obtaining a recognized qualification Introduction to Higher Education
- 6. Higher education for the progress and excellence of society. To enable graduates to meet various challenges in a dynamic world. To create in them strong adaptability to a changing society. Nature of Higher Education
- 7. Higher education improves an individual's quality of life. Higher education, theoretically, will also enable individuals to expand their knowledge and skills, express their thoughts clearly in speech and in writing, grasp abstract concepts and theories, and increase their understanding of the world and their community. higher education offers graduates more jobs to choose from than are open to those who don't pursue education beyond high school, and graduates typically earn more than non-graduates. Need and Scope of Higher Education
- 8. Higher education is a technology and innovation driver. One of the missions of the modern universities is finding solutions to big challenges and conducting research within global priority areas, contributing to social outcomes such as health and social engagement. Often it is aimed at designing technologies that result in new products and supplying advanced technology for use. Need and Scope of Higher Education
- 9. The reason for having universities and colleges should be concerned with expansion of civilization, with the discovery of man’s highest creative achievement, with the need in every generation to question and to challenge what has been created and with the excitement of new discovery. Need and Scope of Higher Education
- 10. Basic and crucial objective of higher education is to build the builders of the nation, by giving awareness, providing contemporary intellectual thought, and serve as think tanks to public and private sector (NEP, 2009). Most important function of higher education is to create, and disseminate new knowledge through quality research, as higher education institutes are considered to be scientific, and social labs of knowledge creation (Marginson, 2004). From economy perspective, higher education should meet the demands of industry by providing better quality human resources having professional and technical skills. Jandhyala, (2008) demonstrated the following functions of higher education which were also endorsed by other mentioned scholars.
- 11. By and large, higher education institutes are supposed to build moral character, by inculcating ethical and moral values, attitudinal traits for socializations of individuals for the protection and development of societal values. Another important function of higher education is to cope with global challenges (Ali & Tahir, 2009), by proving viable and pragmatic solutions to national and international issues and problems. In nutshell, according to Jandhyala, (2008), higher education should serve the public interest from all perspectives-socially, economically, culturally, and politically. Continue following functions of higher education
- 12. Career preparation Broader practical benefits Personal development Better communication Critical thinking skills Identification of skills Realization of passion Greater sense of discipline Sense of accomplishment Pursuing a passion Purpose of Higher Education
- 13. Perspective Planning of Higher Education In Pakistan
- 14. This catered to the 6 universities existing at that time with 16% of the budget for education. The Plan 1955-1960 called for better management of tertiary education through the provision of autonomy and accountability. The proposal for a University Grants Committee for every province was made to improve coordination with the University Board and the Government. Other areas included in the Plan were research, faculty exchange programs and merger of professional colleges with universities in the form of constituent bodies. Unfortunately, this plan failed to achieve its objective and only 69% of its First one was the Plan 1955-1960
- 15. The failure of the First Plan led to the appointment of the National Commission on Education in 1959 through a resolution. The policy emerging from this commission was to come up with a policy to meet the needs of a new nation and mirror the values required by the population. The policy fell short since it was not based on an evaluation of the reasons why a new policy was required and also lacked the perception regarding strategy for implementation of the changes in attitude required by the people about their country and government. National Commission on Education in 1959
- 16. In this context it became the responsibility of higher education to build character and promote a love of knowledge among the youth. Other objectives of this policy were to establish standards of equality in society, democracy, values relating to morality and spirituality which would aid in developing the need for knowledge of science and public service as a step to national development. However, the policy failed due to lack of funds and political will. An example of this was that the government bowed down to student pressure and withdrew the 3 year Bachelor’s program proposal. The policy was effective in the achievement of agricultural and industrial education objectives but not in higher education per se. Responsibility of National Commission on Education in 1959
- 17. In order to get a holistic view of this policy it is important to view the 5 year plans of 1960-1965 (Second Five Year Plan) and 1965- 1970 (Third Five Year Plan). The Second Plan targeted the reliance of all levels of education on one another and emphasized vocational and technical education. This Plan saw the establishment 3 engineering colleges, up gradation of 2 engineering colleges to universities, postgraduate programs in engineering, construction of 3 universities and enhancement of the physical infrastructure of seats of higher learning. Funding also increased during this period and provision for merit scholarships was made Second Five Year Plan) and 1965- 1970 (Third Five Year Plan
- 18. Formation of the University Grants Commission, emphasis on quality education, further spread of scientific and technical education and infrastructure, and research and development for faculty. In terms of higher education this plan achieved the establishment of 2 more engineering colleges, 5 degree colleges, 2 universities, start of degree classes in 25 colleges, and increase in scholarships. Objectives of Third Five Year Plan
- 19. Apart from this education standards continued to remain poor and unemployment was widespread. The new policy aimed to inculcate Islamic cultural values, increase literacy and promote technical manpower leading to workers with skill sets enabling them to secure employment. In the quest to increase literacy a program of mass adult literacy was planned and the administration of education was decentralized. The reality, however, was different since the policy was not implementable and was only a political show The National Education Policy 1970
- 20. The education policy 1972 was envisioned by the democratic government of Bhutto and focused on higher education through the establishment of 6 new universities, 2 new engineering colleges, nationalization of private institutions, and increase in university enrollment by 56 percent. The downside of the policy of nationalization was that the government faced financial constraints and increased development expenditure considerably. The education policy 1972
- 21. The Fourth and Fifth Five Year Plans of 1970-1975 and 1977- 1983 followed this policy. In the Fourth Plan the nationalization policy continued and the treasury was burdened further. The achievements were that the University Grants Commission was established, as well as centers of excellence, 7 new universities, increase in agricultural education, scholarships and enrollment in higher education. The downside was that education was politicized and jobs were given on a political basis. The Fifth Educational Plan sought to balance access to education, improve teaching quality, improve institutions and research facilities and make higher education possible for youth in distant regions of the county. Fourth and Fifth Five Year Plans of 1970-1975 and 1977- 1983
- 22. The National Education Policy of 1979 followed and the main features here were the promotion of Islamic ideology and the continuation of development efforts in higher education tending to vocational and scientific education. It appears that all previous and subsequent policies were political in nature and the features were merely variations of the same. The National Education Policy of 1979
- 23. The Seventh Five Year Plan 1988-1992 saw increases in engineering education, the setting up of the National Education Testing Service and some efforts in the area of faculty and research development. Seventh Five Year Plan 1988-1992
- 24. The National Education Policy 1992 which followed was the product of democratic governments where education was not a priority; however, efforts were on to make education modern. Higher education became demand driven and research and community development were also prioritized to bring about social change in the country. Like previous policies it failed to be fully implemented due to a change of government. It is interesting to note that no assessment has ever been made to determine the causes of failure of these policies. As a result higher education suffered the most. The National Education Policy 1992
- 25. Following this policy was the Eighth Five Year Plan 1993-98 which provided 4100 million for higher education. Here again the focus was engineering education and the 3 year Bachelor’s degree. Additionally, linkages with universities abroad, increased tuition, generation of funds by universities and research improvement were envisaged. This plan saw burgeoning private sector higher education and evening programs in universities. Eighth Five Year Plan 1993-98
- 26. Coming to the National Educational Policy 1998-2010, it can be said that it was the product of a democratic government which had been elected with a stable majority. The policy realized that higher education was limited to a few, was beset with politics, the curricula was not current and relevant, the system of assessment was not adequate and fair, the infrastructure needed up gradation, and inefficient and corrupt administration. The National Educational Policy 1998-2010
- 27. The policy goals were specialization in higher education which was demand driven and of a superior quality comparable to international benchmarks with a strong research-oriented faculty. To achieve these goals efforts were made in the right direction with all pertinent recommendations. Higher education became more autonomous and the social implications were enormous. It would be pertinent to say that this was a period when foreign donors were involved in efforts to turn the economy around, thus monitoring of higher education was extremely necessary if the system was to be reformed. The National Educational Policy 1998-2010 (Goals)
- 28. The reform agenda continued with the Education Sector Reforms, Strategic Plan 2001-2004, which basically ensured continuation of this policy in terms of the liberal policy for the education sector, and increased enrollment in higher education institutions (Jahangir, 2008) Main Point
- 29. There are following recommendations for improvement of higher education in Pakistan: University governance and management Central coordination and support for quality Funding Faculty and staff Research Curriculum Implementation Recommendations for improvement