Education In Pakistan Part 4

on entrance tests, reputed degree colleges shall be given autonomy and degree awarding status. SpIit Ph.D programs shall be launched in collaboration with reputed foreign universities and at the minimum, 100 scholars shall be annually trained under this arrangement. All quota/reserve seats shall be eliminated. Students from backward areas, who clear entry tests. would compete amongst themselves.

A major development in higher education is the established of the Higher Education commission which was established on 14th August, 2002. The Commission ha replaced the University Grants commission which wiII pursue the following broad objectives:  Increasing access to higher education from 2.6% to 5% by 2005.  Increasing enrolment from 100,000 to 200,000 students by 2005.  Private sector to it raise its share Of enrolment to 40% of the total b 2OO5.  Increasing allocation to higher education from 0.39% to 1% of GDP by 2005.  Shift from Humanities to Science & Technology from current 70:30 ratio to 50:50 by 2005.

Up gradation of social sciences programs and staff development accordingly.  Introducing IT Education in all public universities.  Introducing a one year honours course after Bachelor’s Degree and/or a three years Master’s Program. Achievements  Expansion from 48 Universities in 1999 to 77 in 2002, includes 35 public sector universities.  1 billion spent on shift from Humanities to S&T in higher education.  Rs.1 billion Endowment Fund for promotion of research, for Engineering Universities.  IT Education facilities provided to 27 universities.  An Ordinance on Higher Education Commission (HEC) has beer promulgated and HEC established.  Model University Ordinance approved for better governance and management of Public Sector Universities.  Virtual University established.

Information technology has been extended to over 4000 educational institutions including schools in collaboration with private sector and programs in large-scale teacher training. Provincial Skill Development Centers and Institutes of Technical Education are providing training.to students and youth in different computer courses meet the market demand. A program is underway to train federal ad provincial government employees in IT skills.

Computers shall be introduced in secondary schools in a phased manner. School curriculum shall be revised to include recent developments in information technology. Education Sector Reforms (ESR) program is designed in the long term perspective of National Education Policy (1998-2010) and Ten Year Perspective Development Plan (2001 -2011). E.SR is strategically positioned in the objective conditions prevailing in the from country. Education planning and management has been devolved from the Federal and Provincial Governments to the District Governments. Much Of the action concerning education lies in the communities, tehsils and districts. Educational planning and decision-making will now take place where the action is. Centralized systems and distanced planning will be replaced by governance which is people and learner centered. Not only will this make the system more objective and rational but also more efficient.

ESR is a comprehensive sector-wide program for increased access, enhanced equity and improved equality at all levels of education. The quality aspects of education are addressed .through modernization of curricula, up gradation of teacher training and reforms of examinations. A National Education Assessment it System within the school system is being established to carry out assessment students achievement to be used as a basis for improvement. Of policy and planning, and teacher training. A comprehensive package education sector reforms (ESR) with medium term targets (2001- 05) has been finalized through a consultative process with over six hundred partners. ESR has linked with four concurrent macro. Level initiatives, which include Devolution, Interim Poverty Reduction strategy Paper, SAP II restructuring and the National Commission on Hunan Development (NCHD).

The major thrust areas of ESR are: (i) National Literacy Campaign-integrated approach to Poverty Reduction; (ii) Mainstreaming Madrassa has; (iii) Universal Primary/Elementary Education (EFA); (iv) Improving the quality ‘Education: Curriculum Reforms, Teacher Education and Training Examination Reform and Assessment; (v) Technical stream at Secondary level/Technical Education; (vi) Higher Education Sector; and (vii) Public Private Partnership. The six thrust area have been enhanced to seven including mainstreaming of Madras. ESR programmes has been lunched in all provinces and federal Areas under Devolution Plan The Education Sector Reforms (ESR) Action Plan (2001-2005) is a blend of home ground initiation Channing technology and economic reforms are creating dramatic shifts in the structure of the country cermony.

The rapid increase in knowledge and the pace of changing technology raise the possibility of sustained economic growth with prospects of increased human resource demand. These development have created two key priorities for education , it must meet the country’s growing demand for adaptable workers who can readily acquire new skill, and it must support the continued expansion of knowledge.

The ESR is linked o education For all (EFA) goals up to 2001-15. The Reforms seek to enhance education entitlement for poverty alleviation and promote public private partnerships. The reforms focus on improvement of planning procedure, resource mobilization and utilization through a sector wide approach to develop all sub-sector within the macro level frame work including institutional reforms at all levels of governments engaged in planning and service delivery for quality education. A vocational technical education stream is being introduced at secondary education level.

Education for all refers to the global commitment to ensure that by 2015 all children would compete primary education of good quality (Universal Primary Completion), and that gender disparity would be eliminated in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 and no later than 2015This commitment was made at the world Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal in April 2000 reaffirmed in the millennium Declaration in New York in September 2000.The Government of Pakistan is attaching top priority of EFA. The country has ten year term perspective Development plan(2001-11) to visualize the long term macro-economic and sectoral growth strategies, poverty Reduction and Human Development is the priority area of the Plan. Sector-wide development approach cover of education has been adopted under the Perspective Plan. In order to address the EFA implications linkage plan focusing on development of other sectors of Education has also been prepared.

Nearly 80% of the ESR covers different goals of Education for All by 2015, reducing illiteracy by 50 percent with a focus on reducing the gender gap by 2015, life skills and learning opportunities for youth and adults; and early childhood education. The targeted groups for EFA goals belong to disadvantaged communities with minimal opportunities. These groups are highly vulnerable, without access to learning facilities, or public sector facilities, which are functioning at sub-optimal levels Each sub sector of EFA targets the socially excluded groups through.

Integrated non-formula education provision to different age groups here there is no education provision: sensitive to gender and development approaches for disadvantaged girls and boys, women and men (including child labour).  Non-formal programs to target nomads, riverine communities and women and children in prison and darul amines.  Early childhood provision in targeted schools for improved “Ketch’’ programs.  Shelter less schools given buildings at elementary level.  Primary school up graded to elementary level especially for girls in far-flung areas under-development districts.  Incentives to be provided such as free textbooks, school nutrition, scholarships and, loans to students in both government and institutions. .  Skill training of out of school youth in the evening.  Linkages of technical stream and model technical high schools to micro-credit poverty alleviation programs.  Linkages of women’s literacy programs and technical high schools to micro-credit and poveity alleviation programs.  Grant of charter to private universities to incorporate provision for scholarship to meritorious needy students.  Public sector higher institutions to become equitable in their fee schedules.  Free meal and nutrition to girls under Tawana Pakistan Program. Causes of illiteracy in Pakistan are these

Half hearted to planning and management of literacy and continuing education (II) Limited budget and funding (III) Lack of reliable statistics and research Researchers should analyze the causes of failure of literacy efforts in Pakistan to ensure their success in future No such study has been conducted so far (IV) Separate institution structure does not exit for adult education (V) Inadequate staff tanning and lack of sufficient number of programmed personal at he grass root level (VI) Week community participation, (VII) Lack of knowledge and expertise in running literacy centres (VIII) Lack of multi media materials (IX) Programmes are unattractively designed The programmes do take into account the need of the cultural entertainment of participation Learners could be shown interesting cultural films concerning contemporary issues and problems (X)Textbook writing for adults requires special skill Textbook writers are not trained in the writing of books for adult.