Conference on education: Speakers voice concern over deteriorating state of higher education in KP

PESHAWAR: The speakers at a conference here on Tuesday voiced serious concerns over the deteriorating state of higher education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, urging the provincial government to prioritise the sector and address the increasing crisis in public sector universities.

“Our universities are producing jobless graduates, who after finding no jobs join organisations like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM). Similarly, our religious institutions produce a large number of jobless clerics, who get limited employment opportunities, may join militant outfits like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP),” said Prof Dr. Qibla Ayaz, the keynote speaker at the one-day conference titled ‘Enhancing Higher Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Strategies and Way Forward.’

Dr Qibla Ayaz said that the situation in the educational institutions was changed after the 9/11 and onset of coalition support fund after which the BS program, the so-called office of research innovation and commercialisations and tenure track system were introduced in universities. “The teachers were given a bribe of one-grade promotion and they remained silent over all those changes,” he said.

The event was organized by the Pakistan Development Foundation (PDF), Institute of Management Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women’s University Peshawar, and Women University Mardan.

Vice-chancellors, Higher Education Commission (HEC) representatives, provincial government officials, and other stakeholders including a good number of teachers and students attended the conference. Discussions centered on administrative, financial, and academic challenges being faced by the public sector universities in the province.

In a series of three panel discussions, key themes emerged, including the need for stronger cooperation between universities and the government, the role of governance in effective university administration, and financial sustainability.

The session titled ‘Bridging the Gap: Expanding Cooperation Between Diverse Stakeholders and Universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ was initially scheduled to be participated by Provincial Minister for Higher Education, Meena Khan Afridi, MPA Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani and Executive Director HEC Dr Ziaul Qayum. However, in their absence, organizers restructured the panel to include Prof Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, and Dr. Nasir Shah, regional director of HEC along with the other scheduled panelists including Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani and Prof Dr Razia Sultana. Chairman PDF Mohammad Bilal Sethi moderated the session.

During a session on effective governance, moderated by Dr Yousaf Ali, panelists highlighted concerns over the lack of consistent leadership in the public sector universities. Former vice-chancellors of the University of Peshawar Dr Rasool Jan and Dr Mohammad Jahanzeb Khan and former police officer Dr Syed Akhtar Ali Shah were the panelists in the session. They pointed out that the provincial government has been unable to appoint vice-chancellors for 26 out of 34 universities, leaving a leadership vacuum in the universities and creating administrative delays. The panelists argued that the government policies have been pushing the universities to be financially self-reliant, forcing them to increase fees and enrollment, which adversely affect the quality of education.

The third panel discussion on ‘Financial Challenges of Universities’ was moderated by Dr Anoosh Khan and participated by MPA Ahmad Karim Kundi, Dr Usman Ghani and Dr Attaullah Shah.

The final session included a roundtable discussion where Prof Dr. Qibla Ayaz delivered a keynote speech, and speakers such as Right to Information Commissioner Farah Hamid, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, Dr Safia Ahmad, vice-chancellor SBBWU, Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, a student representative Arbab Abuzar and others stressed the need for meaningful student engagement and other steps on part of the government to shape educational policies. However, a blunt conclusion after an attractive oratory from provincial government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif spoiled all the expectations of the stakeholders. He asked the participants to take steps on their own without expecting anything from the government. “I will take up the points raised here with the chief minister but having any expectations from the government is useless,” he stated categorically.

During the roundtable, the participants adopted a resolution urging immediate reforms to safeguard the future of higher education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The resolution advocated for the establishment of a provincial Higher Education Commission, similar to those in Sindh and Punjab, to provide targeted oversight and support. It also recommended creating a Higher Education Endowment Fund to help universities overcome financial hurdles and reduce dependency on student-generated revenue.

The resolution emphasized the need for a curriculum overhaul, suggesting that educational content should align with contemporary societal needs rather than outdated standards. Additionally, speakers proposed a revision of the Bachelor of Science (BS) program structure, recommending that colleges handle the first two years of the program, while universities manage the latter half to ensure higher educational quality.

The conference underscored that universities should prioritize enhancing skills over merely increasing enrollment. By focusing on quality education that aligns with market demands, institutions can better equip graduates for employment, helping to mitigate the rise in unemployment and the potential social challenges associated with it.

The resolutions, expressing the collective vision of diverse stakeholders, call for transformative changes that can elevate higher education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, aiming for a system that not only meets international standards but also serves the socio-economic needs of the province as well as the country.