Higher education ‘in serious crisis’

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, in its latest report, has said that higher education in the country is in “serious crisis” and has discussed the issue of the devolution of the Higher Education Commission to the provinces after the 18th Amendment, writes Kashif Abbasi for Dawn.

“Since the passage of the 18th Amendment in April 2010 and devolution of the education sector to provinces, higher education seems in a serious crisis in the country. Punjab Higher Education Commission and the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association remained at loggerheads throughout the year 2016,” reads the report recently launched in Islamabad.

According to the report, universities in Balochistan have a long list of complaints against the Higher Education Commission or HEC, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa commission is yet to take shape. Under the 18th Amendment, the provinces are to establish their own education commissions but only Punjab and Sindh have done so in the six years since. According to sources, the rules say that the HEC’s functions cannot be devolved to the provinces without an amendment in the HEC act.
Full report on the Dawn site