The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture has rejected the draft Bill for the establishment of Pak University of Engineering & Technology University Bill, 2022, earlier which successfully went through the floor of the National Assembly. The committee observed that instead of the establishment of a new university, the existing system should be enhanced through judicial utilization of the Budget. The committee was of the view that any newly introduced discipline/subject can be incorporated into the existing universities and the financial resources can be utilized to enrich the existing institutions. The Chairman committee maintained that Political anemic cannot be used for Education and rejecting the Bill does not have any ill will behind it but only in the larger interest of the education sector. According to reports, the committee emphasized the need for teachers’ training programs and proposed recommendations on introducing projects for teachers’ training for the current year.
The education sector of the country is riddled with countless administrative, teaching, and policy problems mainly due to the depreciation of education by the government. The formulation of educational policies, the establishment of universities and educational institutions as well as allocation of budget are being decided on political grounds instead of the needs of the nation or a particular region. Hence, Universities are being opened in constituencies of the influential, teachers are being appointed on the recommendation of the Politicians hence the standard of literacy has been malformed. The PTI government had made idealistic promises with the nation regarding education policy during the election campaign, which includes the introduction of World-level modern education, a unified curriculum, a single education system, an increase in the educational budget, and the establishment of universities in the Premises of the Prime Ministers’ House as well as governor houses in the provinces, etc. After gaining power in the country, the reformer not only forgot most of his assertions but acted against the words through cuts on educational budgets, the disapproval of educationists, and intervention in institutional affairs. Presently, the government has tabled a bill for the establishment of the Pak University of Engineering & Technology, which was opposed by the Senate Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on the ground that the government must invest in already available institutions which had been facing financial constraints during the past years.
Although there is sufficient room for improvement both in primary and higher education, however, the government must work to raise the standard of education at the higher level instead of the establishment of another flimsy institution while 1.8 million children need to be admitted in the school which merits the establishment of new schools across the country, induction of qualified teachers and quality training of the educators. The government must encourage and incentivize talented youth to join the education sector, so highly educated teachers impart quality education to the next generation and lay a solid foundation for the country. Thus, a sincere approach instead of verbosity can bring a miracle in the country.
