Education Thread

[joey]

niaz fake degrees isnt uncommon here as well, specially in the ifnamous state of Bihar...here they take fake 12 degree to get admitted in college, mostly private colleges.

 

[Neo]

Education sector gets Rs 21,480.450 million

LAHORE (June 15 2007): The Punjab government has allocated Rs 21,480.450 million to education sector in the province's budget 2007-08, which is 72% higher than that of financial year 2006-07 (Rs 1,2480m). It also includes Rs 5,000 million for the World Bank assisted Punjab Education Sector Reform Programme.

According to budget documents, Rs 8,488 million has been set aside for school education, Rs 9,936 million for higher education, Rs 954.450 million for special education, Rs 1200 million for literacy and Rs 902 million for sports showing increases of 2.203%, 242.621%, 59.075%, 336.364% and 125.500%, respectively, in allocations made in the current fiscal years.

The documents says the Punjab government is committed to develop an enlightened and prosperous Punjab through achievement of all education related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. In 2006-07, out of the allocation made under school education, half of it was transferred to the higher education during the course of the year. This year the allocations have been reflected under the respective sub-sectors.

To improve the standard of college education a model programme of upgrading two best colleges in every district into high quality institutions to be given autonomous status will be launched. Similarly two of the weakest colleges will be picked up for complete overhaul and up gradation.

As far as higher education is concerned, Rs 4 billion is allocated to support universities. This is in addition to the massive investments by Higher Education Commission (HEC) in all the universities in Punjab.

According to budget documents, higher allocations for education sector reflect the provincial government's strong commitment towards provision of quality education based on five parallel but mutually supportive axes. These are reformed institutions; reformed service structures, development & embedding of information/decision support systems; provision of an enabling environment for reforms; and invoking an intentional cultural shift within the education department.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: To improve the condition and make the lives of special children meaningful the government has allocated special amount for the special education. The provincial government has planned to develop 143 institutions of special education with a projected enrolment of 20,050 students by 2008.

The government has already initiated various programmes for special children including provision of educational opportunities and facilities to school-going disabled children; enhance enrolment of special children in the institutions/ centres of special education in Punjab, ensure provision of improved facilities and opportunities; impart knowledge and skills to physically challenged children to enable them to become economically independent members of the family and society; provision of healthy atmosphere to special children in the Institutions/Centres of special education in Punjab by constructing new, and improving existing, buildings with special facilities; and skill development & rehabilitation of physically challenged children.

In the year 2007-08, the government has planned to enhance enrolment of special children through incentives, such as nutrition programme, provision of stipend, free uniform, free boarding & lodging facility, free text & Braille books, free pick & drop facility, merit scholarship, cochlear implant for hearing impaired students; provision of First Aid Kits to special education institutions; improvement of teaching methodologies through teachers training programmes; third party validation of the special education initiatives; and adoption of internationally accepted best practices.

LITERACY & NON-FORMAL EDUCATION: In a bid to provide yet another opportunity to an estimated 38 million illiterate/out of school population to return to education, an amount of Rs 1,200 million has been earmarked in the budget 2007-08 for the Literacy and Non-formal education sector which is 336 % higher than the current year (2006-07).

The provincial government launched the 'Parha Likha Punjab' Programme for meeting national commitment of 100% literacy rate, along with reinvigorating the formal set up with a view to covering the backlog by Non-formal Basic Education schools.

Main initiatives in this regard are demand based training for new literates to impart education, training and skills that can lead to economic amelioration, enhance disposable income and help alleviate poverty. Establishment of 300 Adult Literacy Centres & 200 NFBE schools in jails, factories and Brick Kiln under a five year programmes for imparting education and development for rehabilitation and providing honourable economic opportunities to prisoners in 29 jails of the province. More than 5,000 brick kilns workers and illiterates working in factories; awareness campaign for promotion of literacy.

SPORTS: With a view to promoting sports the provincial government has established a new department, which will support sports organisations to develop and exploit sports potential in youth including imparting them training on scientific basis. An amount of Rs 902 million has been allocated for sports which 125.5% higher than the allocation for year 2006-7.

Moreover, according to budget documents, under the Punjab Education Sector Reforms Programme (PESRP), an amount of Rs 2 billion has been planned for provision of missing facilities in public sector schools and Rs 3 billion for colleges in the year 2007-08. In the year 2007-08, around 24 million free text books will be distributed in the province to over 11.2 million students up to matric at a cost of Rs 823 million.

The education department is planning to make recruitment of a new batch of qualified teachers during 2007-08 to address the shortage of teaching staff. In 2007-08, the department will train 130,000 PST in remaining 23 districts through 3,176 District Teacher Educators (DTEs). In order to evaluate performance of School Councils, in pilot districts, a Third Party Validation exercise is planned to be conducted in October this year.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=577717&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

[niaz]

I maintain the we are spending pittance on education compared to the developped countries. The future is knowledge based and education system in Pakistan is one of worst in the world. We are producing two classes of people. One class that can afford private education for their kids and the other which can only afford to send their children to the state schools. How can son of a chowkidar compete when he has to face someone from say Aitchison college in the CSS exam.

I will be happy if there is an education levy on all items to fund the education, but IMO all sons/daughters of Pakistan deserve the chance to get the best education possible

 

[Adux]

I will be happy if there is an education levy on all items to fund the education, but IMO all sons/daughters of Pakistan deserve the chance to get the best education possible

Already present in India from the last two years, mostly on computer software books etc

 

[Neo]

Education & the budgets​

THE budget — be it a household’s, a corporate entity’s or a government’s — is not just a document containing a collection of figures indicating the financial status of the one to be guided by it. It also reflects the priorities and preferences of its author. This is more so in the case of a government which has the power and resources to address a wide range of issues to do the maximum good to the maximum numbers. Hence, the budgets presented by the federal government in Islamabad and the four provincial governments speak volumes about where we are heading. The sector which is one of the most important and deserves close examination in the context of the budgets is education because of its strong impact on the potential of citizens, the productivity of the economy and its multiplier effect on every walk of life.

In order to display their commitment to education — considered to be a yardstick of a government’s concern for public welfare — our rulers have conventionally boasted of the growing education budget. A few months ago it was promised that the education budget would be raised to four per cent of the GDP in the incoming financial year. This has not happened. It would have called for a massive increase in the allocations for education to reach that goal. Spending on education continues to stagnate at the level of two per cent of the GDP. However, it also needs to be pointed out that simply a massive injection of funds in the education sector without enhancing capacity and instituting checks and balances to control corruption has proved to be a futile exercise. Take the case of development spending on education in Punjab. The budgeted allocation for development in 2006-07 (Rs9.3bn) was not utilised fully and the revised estimates for the year stand at Rs4.2bn. Similarly, Sindh showed Rs12.7bn as the revenue expenditure on education in 2006-07 but this had to be revised to Rs11.8bn. Even worse is the case of the growing embezzlement in the education sector as illustrated by numerous ghost schools, falling standards of education, schools without adequate physical facilities and the high rate of teachers’ absenteeism.

Another matter of deep concern is the government’s misguided approach to the various sub-sectors of education which betrays its utter lack of understanding of the educational needs of the country. Primary education has been wilfully neglected with the bulk of the provincial education funds going to the tertiary sector. The higher education sector continues to be the blue-eyed boy of the federal government which funds it generously. It appears that it still has not dawned on our policymakers that primary schooling determines the quality of university graduates and not the other way around. It is shocking that teachers’ training has hardly received the emphasis it deserves. Even more surprising is

the trend to spend large amounts on the infrastructure than on the improvement of education. The impression one gets is that the governments are happy with the present state of things. They want the private sector to produce a small elite of highly educated men and women whose number would suffice to run the country’s top tier. They are not convinced that good education is the birthright of every child born in Pakistan.

http://www.dawn.com/2007/06/25/ed.htm#1

 

[Neo]

Huge investment in education a must for progress: HEC​

ISLAMABAD: Huge investment in the education sector is vital to rapid progress, said Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Attaur Rehman on Monday. He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of a three-day international conference on ‘Recent Development in Fluid Mechanics’ organised by the Fluid Mechanics Group (FMG) at the Earth Sciences Auditorium of the Quad-i-Azam University (QAU).

QAU Vice Chancellor Prof M Qasim Jan, FMG head Professor Saleem Asghar and others attended the ceremony.

Rehman said that universities were a source of knowledge and could play a vital role in the development of a country. “Pakistan has to equip young and bright minds with modern and research-based knowledge by ensuring its provision in the universities,” he said, adding that bright minds develop their countries. Rehman said that Pakistan had 85 million youths below the age of 19 and 100 million between the ages of 19 and 25. Talented youths need appropriate access to research and knowledge, he said.

He said the government would keep on enhancing the HEC budget every year till it reached one percent of the total GDP. He said the HEC was fully aware of the utilisation of the allocated funds for quality education and its relevance to the country’s needs.

The HEC has made 25,000 international journals accessible to universities students through digital libraries and videoconferences, said Rehman, adding that 40,000 textbooks would be made available to the students through its e-book programme in the current month.

He said that almost 1,000 foreign scholarships would be awarded to brilliant students by the end of this year. He said 2,000 scholarships had already been awarded in this connection. He said after three years 1,000 students equipped with advance knowledge in their relevant disciplines would return Pakistan every year.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\07\03\story_3-7-2007_pg11_8

 

[Neo]

Literacy rate up to 54 percent: Aziz​

ISLAMABAD: The literacy rate in the country rose to 54 percent and the gross enrolment rate for primary education improved from 72 percent to 87 percent in 2006, says Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

The net enrolment rate for children between five and nine years and six and 10 years has improved from 42 percent to 50 percent and 51 percent to 61 percent respectively, Aziz said while addressing the first ever convocation of the Foundation University here. He said illiterate nations could not make progress. He said education enhances human capabilities, creates opportunities for individual progress and social mobility.

According to Aziz the most critical difference between the rich and poor nations today is the level of education and the quality of human resource. He congratulated the graduates and praised those who had won distinction for their outstanding performance. “We must build up an education system based on clear objectives reflecting a healthy balance between academic pursuits and extra-curricular activities, natural and social sciences and technical skills and the liberal arts.”

Aziz said all stakeholders – policymakers, teachers, parents and students – were responsible to ensure that the nation attain the highest level of education. He stressed the need for focusing on vocational training and equipping the students with technical and managerial skills. “We need to accelerate the adoption of new information and communication technologies and must expand access to female education to fully leverage more than half of the population,” he said. The prime minister said, between 2001 to 2006, pro-poor budgetary spending was more than doubled, growing at an annual rate of almost 23 percent. He said the government had given the priority to technical and vocational education, which was being coordinated by the National Vocational and Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC). app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\07\03\story_3-7-2007_pg7_24

 

[Neo]

Pakistani educators training in US​

WASHINGTON: A group of 15 Pakistani educators and administrators, who arrived in the United States earlier this month under a citizen exchange programme operated by the State Department, are close to the end of an intensive summer training programme on the campus of Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.

This is the fourth time in as many years that educators from Pakistan have benefited from this programme, which is funded by the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since 2004, the Plymouth State University has trained 65 educators from Pakistan in three summer institutes. The total number of those who have visited the US under this exchange scheme is 80.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\07\22\story_22-7-2007_pg7_31

 

[Neo]

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Teachers urged to build Pakistan’s future ​

ISLAMABAD: Teachers have a heavy responsibility to contribute in building the future of Pakistan, said US Agency for International Development (USAID) Pakistan Mission Director Anne Aarnes while addressing a 12-day training workshop on interactive teaching and learning methods held here on Friday as part of the USAID-funded Interactive Teaching and Learning Programme.

Around 150 teachers completed the workshop and were awarded certificates of achievement. “It is your dedication, talent and energy that will give children the skills and confidence they need to meet the challenges of the 21st century.” Appreciating the programme implemented by USAID’s partner Children’s Resource International (CRI) Pakistan, Aarnes said that it had trained over 1,600 teachers in 399 schools of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi in child-centered teaching and learning. “We are fully committed to helping the Pakistan’s government in its broad and ambitious initiative to strengthen education throughout the country,” she said. “The education reforms that Pakistan is engaged in are crucial to enable the people of Pakistan to lead better and more prosperous lives,” she added.

Also present on the occasion were Federal Education Directorate Training and Colleges Director Prof Rafiq Tahir and CRI Chief Mehnaz Aziz. The 12-day training workshop was the last in a series of 21 trainings that began in June this year for schoolteachers in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\08\11\story_11-8-2007_pg7_48

 

[Neo]

Rs 575.9 million allocated for higher education ​

ISLAMABAD: Education Minister Lt Gen (r) Javed Ashraf Qazi on Friday told the National Assembly (NA) that the government had allocated Rs 575.899 million to improve the standard of secondary education in Islamabad.

On a question from Shakeela Khanam Rashid, the minister said Rs 235.545 million was allocated to higher education institutions in 2004-05, Rs 179.861 in 2005-06 and Rs 160.493 million in 2006-07.

He said there were 39 private universities in the country at present, three of them in Islamabad, 12 in Punjab, 14 in Sindh, seven in NWFP, one in Balochistan, and two in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

He said 646 male and 632 female grade-14 teachers and 501 male and 889 female grade-9 teachers were working in the capital. He said 147 positions for teachers of various categories were lying vacant in government institutions. He said seven posts of CT and 46 of PTC male teachers and 94 of PTC female teachers were vacant at present.

He said applications for these vacancies would be called through ads in the last week of this month and recruitment would be completed in October.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\08\11\story_11-8-2007_pg7_32

 

[Neo]

Ensure both teaching mediums in schools, speaker tells government​

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain on Friday told the government to ensure both English and Urdu mediums of instruction in all public sector schools.

He passed this observation when Laiq Ahmad, Ms Naseem Chaudhry, MMA’s Liaquat Baloch and Roqayya Khanum speaking on points of order criticised Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi for reportedly saying on a private TV channel that Urdu had lost its significance in the present education system. However, Qazi disowned the statement. The speaker further observed that the choice to adopt either medium of instruction should be left to the students.

Later, answering a question of MNA Kashmala Tariq in the question hour, Qazi told the house that the government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with UNICEF and the International Development Department (IDD) to accelerate gender parity and equality in the country by 2015, and in this regard the government was initiating “Gender in Education Policy Support Project” (GEPSP).

He said all three parties (Pakistan government, UNICEF and IDD) had signed a letter of understanding in March 2007. He said the education ministry and provincial education departments of Punjab and NWFP would receive administrative and professional support from UNICEF, Islamabad, and funding and advisory support from IDD for progress towards gender parity and equality at all levels of education by 2015. The programme, costing £3.5 million, would spread over a period of four years and funds would be provided by IDD through UNICEF. The minister said further that Rs 705,000 was being processed with the UNICEF to initiate recruitment of personnel and other infrastructure of GEPS Unit at federal level. He added that all the three partners would oversee the project through a steering committee and technical and action committee. Answering a question of MNA Kaniz Aisha Munawar, Qazi said that during the financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07, not even a single private university was registered in NWFP.

Answering another question of Kashmala Tariq, he told the house that at present 63,363 literacy centres were functioning in the country.

Meanwhile, expressing his displeasure at the failure of the interior and religious affairs ministries in answering a question about income from Bari Imam shrine, Deputy Speaker Sardar Muhammad Yaqub directed the Cabinet Division to obtain the answer from the relevant ministry. Yaqub expressed his displeasure when Religious Affairs Minister Ejazul Haq did not answer a question of MNA Mian Muhammad Aslam about income from Bari Imam shrine. Haq said that the question was not relevant to the Religious Affairs Ministry, as Bari Imam shrine worked under the administrative control of the Interior Ministry. He said the question had also been conveyed to the Interior Ministry.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\08\11\story_11-8-2007_pg7_15

 

[Neo]

HEC to give out Rs 1.1bn in scholarships to 2,800 students ​

LAHORE: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is to provide Rs 1.1 billion to 2,800 students for pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees at various public and private institutions. HEC Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi chaired the meeting of National Scholarship Management Committee that was attended by representatives of 26 universities. The committee approved the cases of 487 candidates enrolled in 26 participating institutions for the award of “Need Based Scholarships” under Japanese & US Need Based Scholarship programme.

Dr Naqvi briefed that Need Based Scholarship programme have helped 1500 families in the last two years. At present 50 leading public and private institutions are participating in this HEC initiative. The HEC intends to spread this network of ‘Need Based Scholarship’ and develop a sustainable methodology for including all the institutions of higher education in Pakistan under this scheme. Dr Naqvi called for the participating institutions to expand the scope of this scheme to reach the maximum number of students and also to initiate activities to sustain this programme. He said that progress has been made in improving the state of higher education in Pakistan. The disciplines covered by these programmes include Agriculture, Business Administration, Biotechnology, Engineering, Information Technology & Telecommunication, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Genetics, Pharmacy, and Life Sciences.

Jalil Ahmed, advisor (P&D) and the Project Director of Need Based Scholarships at HEC, said that after the execution of three Need Based Scholarship programmes, it was learnt that these scholarships had alleviated the burden of students and their families.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[niaz]

Education in Pakistan is in the greatest need of reform. I am working in a fairly senior capacity in the UAE since 2002. Initially, was working Emirates National Oil company ( Enoc) and on arrival in Dubai in August 2002, I was surprised at the number of Indians ( mainly from Kerala) and lack of Pakistanis in the booming economy of Dubai.

When a chance arose to hire some workers, I tried to deliberately interview more Pakistanis. Hon Members and fellow compatriots, I was shocked at the low standard of education in Pakistan. On the other hand I found Indians ( specially from the South) better qualified and more willing to learn.

One never heard of fake degrees when I was a student in 60's. Nowadays one never knows when you interview a candidate if he is actually a graduate as he claims or his degree is not worth the paper it is written on. I had been out of Pakistan far too long to realize the malaise that has set in our education system. Think this rot happenned during the 10 years of the democratic leadership. Regret to say that only Pakistani hired by the two companies that I have worked since leaving Enoc is actually a US citizen of Pakistani origin. Now I know the reason why there are so many Indians in Dubai.

I read about the number of Ph.D' we are producing but of what calibre??. We produced the noble Laureate Abdus Salaam with very few universities. This doesnot mean that all Pakistanis are duffers. My point is the stress seems to have shifted towards numbers instead of quality.

Examination results in Pakistan have become meaningless due to rampant cheating in the exams. That is why all Medical and Engineering Colleges have their own entry tests. MMA as usual are happy with their madrassa's and ready to launch agitation at the slightest hint of raising the standards ( Agha Khan Board of Examination etc).

Number of scholarships mean nothing. We dont need "quantity". What we need is Quality with Quantity. Just look at how Pakistani Universities are rated at the International level. Reason for India's economic success lies in the higher standard of education that Indian Universities Provide. Indian Institute of Technology is among the top ten universities of Asia which includes universities in Japan and South Korea.

It is about time Pakistanis realize that we need to give Education the topmost priority and need to develop manpower resource.

 

[solid snake]

Mr. Niaz, I think the talented and properly educated Pakistani's don't go to Dubai, they come here to the US or go to Canada, UK or Australia. Theres too many Indians here, so they don't get enough work visas which is the reason they head to places like Dubai. Pakistanis on the other hand are able to get work visas more easily in north America.

But I agree with you on everything else. Education is the single most important factor in the development of a country but how much of the GDP do we set aside for it? It's a real shame we are not properly utilizing our raw talent.

Cheating is indeed rampant in Pakistani exams. When I was there, I was in an O levels school and the British Council makes sure it's exams do not have cheating going on. But my friends who were in HEC schools were telling me that cheating is not only prevalent but also expected by the exam boards. Certain school's students have their marks deducted automatically because the school is 'black listed'. Despite having grown up in Pakistan, that shocked me very much.

I think Pakistani culture is to blame for the cheating epidemic. Why do we put so much stress on marks/grades? Why not focus on trying to make sure a child learns as much as possible instead of praising every kid who gets a straight A report card? Here in the United States people don't ask you what grades you get in school before they ask your name. Parents method of boasting about their smart kid is by putting a bumper sticker on their car "my child is an honor roll student at gunston middle school". Your friends mom dosen't care or ask you how you did on your SAT exam. But because Pakistani people expect every single kid to get an A in a subject which is probably not of his/her own choosing, kids feel tempted to cheat. Teachers invigilating the exam want themselves to look good, so they let their students cheat. Most of the times they help them cheat in fact.

We need to replace our stupid system where every single mark counts towards people's perception of you. I pick up DAWNs classifieds section and see the tutoring section full of people "guarenteeing" you an A. At the end of your high school career here in the US, everyone gets a diploma. My diploma does not say which classes I took or what grades I got. It simply says my name and that my school is awarding it to me for "successfully completing the course of studies" at this institution.

Instead of kids passing/failing their class based on mid-term/final-term exams, we should implement a system where homework is 20-30% of the grade. That makes sure a child is studying througout the year. In Pakistan's high schools, students barely ever attend classes. Attendance should have 5% of the grade. If a student does not show up a certain number of times, s/he should be suspended and subsequently expelled if this carefree attitude persists.

Professors/teachers too have an extremly carefree attitude in class. They simply tell students "shaam ko meray tuition center aa jana". How is a student supposed to learn like this? What have we become ?

USA is the most capitalist country in the world. Americans breathe, eat, drink and think money all the time. They're always thinking of how to make more money. But even here, one thing that has remained non-commercialized for hundereds of years is the public school system.

Someone really needs to fix our schools.

 

[niaz]

Hon Solid Snake,

You are right that it is fault of Pakistani culture. IMO it is not because the stress on marks. It is because our society has lost the sight of what is right and what is wrong. This is the height of hypocracy!!

Cheating in examination or taking bribes is "corruption" but society ignores it saying "Sub Kartain hain" meaning every one is doing it. Whereas people are willing to stop mixed marathon by use force saying that it corrupts the society.

We do need a Kamal Ata Turk in Pakistan else there is only one way for Pakistan to go, that is down.