Blackboard
Higher education reforms in Pakistan
The HEC has been entrusted with the task of spearheading the government's higher education reform initiatives, with an ultimate goal of transforming Pakistan from an agricultural economy to a knowledge-based economy
By Lubna Shah Anwar and Nick Clark

Over the past four years, Pakistan has increased its spending on higher education by more than 700 per cent and the government appears determined to reverse years of under investment in what is widely considered to be a weak education system. Plans devised to propel the country into an era of "enlightened moderation" include the construction of a new network of technical universities and the training of a new generation of academics.

Established in September 2002, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been entrusted with the task of spearheading the government's higher education reform initiatives, with an ultimate goal of transforming Pakistan from an agricultural economy to a knowledge-based economy. The HEC has a broad mandate as outlined in the HEC Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF), which emphasises three areas of priority that are, quality assurance through accreditation and faculty development; increasing the relevance of instruction to national priorities through the promotion of excellence in learning, research and increasing access to education.

While the HEC programmes represent hope for the future of higher education in Pakistan, the enormity of the task facing the HEC cannot be overstated.

Accreditation and Quality Assurance

The present quality of higher education in Pakistan is very low as measured by teacher qualifications, publications, participation in international conferences, teaching and learning, or significant research findings. Considering faculty qualifications alone, just 25 per cent of the current teaching faculty at Pakistan's universities holds a Ph.D. Therefore, it is no surprise that the HEC has put quality improvement and relevance as its top agenda.

Previously, where provincial or federal legislative assemblies were responsible for accreditation and licensing decisions, the task has recently been entrusted to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) under the purview of the HEC.

In order to meet these new quality benchmarks, public universities are in the process of establishing Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs), which are responsible for implementing quality assurance/enhancement policies and programmes as outlined by the QAA

Faculty Development and the Promotion of Excellence in Learning and Research

In Pakistan, 25 per cent of the lecturers currently hold doctorates, while just 290 were produced in the academic year 2002-03. This means that if quality standards are to be improved, it is critical that university faculty be highly qualified and exposed to better research opportunities. Therefore, primary among the new initiatives outlined by the MTDF are a range of faculty-development programmes that include increased research support at the masters and PhD levels; the creation of new programmes to enroll more students in PhD programmes; increased scholarships for international and domestic graduate programmes, for both students and under-qualified lecturers; and support for post-doctoral fellowships. Tied to these initiatives are financial incentives such as a new tenure-track system, increased competitive research grants and significantly increased academic salaries.

Domestically, scholarship programmes are available to faculty wishing to improve their academic qualifications. Under the Indigenous Scholarship Programme, more than 2,000 awards have been made available for doctoral studies, and the HEC reports a 56 per cent increase in the number of students engaged in doctoral studies since the programme was started.

Recognising that the creation of new knowledge through research is the key to driving innovation, and one of the primary responsibilities of an institution of higher education, more than 20 Central Research Laboratories have been established at public universities across the country. These research centres have been set up to drive "world-class" research and are being supported with major investments in information technology, such as the creation of a large Digital Library. Along with this, more than 333 research programmes have also been funded and collaborations with international universities have been strongly encouraged.

International Scholarship Programmes

More than 800 Pakistani students are currently on scholarships for graduate programmes abroad in engineering or science, up from about 20 in 2002. These include masters and doctoral programmes at leading international universities that are either fully funded by the Pakistan government and focus on science and engineering; or that are collaboratively funded with private donors and foreign governments (donor preferences are kept in mind in these cases).

The HEC has also brokered generous scholarship agreements with Pakistan's Western allies, primary among which is the Commission's collaborative scholarship programme with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Fulbright Commission in Pakistan. Under these programmes, funding of US$150 million has been made available for 640 students to study at US universities.

Under a bilateral arrangement with the Australian government, a further 500 students will study in Australia under the Australia-Pakistan Scholarship Programme, while at the post-doctoral level, a further 255 scholars were awarded fellowships of up to a year at research institutions abroad.

Although the focus of these scholarship programmes has been on sending researchers abroad, it is hoped that the ultimate reward will be in the strengthening of university faculties in Pakistan as scholarship-holders return home to work in academia.

Importing Foreign Talent

For the nearer term, a programme designed to attract qualified foreign and expatriate faculty has been initiated. Under the Foreign Faculty Hiring Programme, the HEC has set out to recruit suitably qualified professors from abroad with attractive offers including handsome research grants and salaries of up to $4,000 a month. To date, almost 350 such expatriate faculty members have been recruited, over half of whom have committed to assignments of more than one year, while over 200 long-term foreign faculty have taken up positions. Short-term foreign expert visits are also being promoted and the HEC has invited experts, especially from industrialised countries, in numerous fields to provide guidance and consultation in "a variety of critical areas."

In addition to attracting foreign faculty, federal funding of more than US$5 million has been made available to build academic relationships between universities in Pakistan and those in foreign countries, across a range of disciplines.

Establishment of Foreign University Campuses

In collaboration with universities and government agencies from Germany, France, Sweden, South Korea, Austria, Norway, Holland and China six engineering and three technology-focused universities are either being set up or are in the planning stages in different cities across Pakistan. Priority of location is being given to areas which are closer to industrial sectors and where these initiatives would stimulate university-industry partnership plans.

These new universities will be operated with the support of the foreign countries involved and they will adhere closely to the educational standards of that country, offering their own curriculum and awarding the degrees of the collaborating foreign university.

Increasing Access

Rapid population growth has led to heavy economic burden on the national budget, and therefore increasing access and participation in higher education will continue to be a priority for the foreseeable future. An ambitious programme was launched in recent years to increase the number of university places available in Pakistan. The programme has resulted in university enrollment increase of over 40 per cent, and as an indication of future solutions to overcrowding and capacity shortages, distance learning programmes have increased by almost 20 per cent since 2003.

To cater to increased enrollments, not only are faculty standards being targeted but physical infrastructure is also a priority. To date, 13 new universities have been granted charters, mostly in areas where higher education opportunities were hitherto scarce. However, there has been widespread criticism that many of the newly-established universities lack basic infrastructure and qualified faculty.

As for the less developed areas and geographically remote cities and villages one way to strengthen is distance learning. The commission is therefore expanding the programmes of the Virtual University of Pakistan as well as those of the Allama Iqbal Open University. Pakistan's long-term and short-term need to build academic expertise is pressing and recent government efforts are ambitious; however, it remains to be seen if they have been sufficiently well thought-out or if they will be properly implemented, and above all if the current political climate will allow the efforts of the HEC to achieve their full potential.

Analysis
Let's devise our own educational model
 After independence what we essentially need is decolonisation of education and this has to be through a process of indigenisation. It has to be a cultural action for freedom -- freedom of the captive minds

By Dr Salahuddin A. Khan

'Better late than never', so goes the phrase of wisdom. In all key matters we Pakistanis lag behind India. Why is this so? Do we lack genius? The reason is not so. Pakistan is not lagging behind because it lacks genius but because western countries have wholeheartedly imported some of our best brains.

Both India and Pakistan are the products of simultaneous struggle for decolonisation. In terms of living pattern, food habits, social customs and language there are remarkable similarities between the rural lives of the two countries. However, Indian scholars and intellectuals have come out to forge their independent system of education that will lead India to the horizon of progress, keeping in mind both static and changing elements of Indian culture. On the contrary, we haven't done that. Instead, we have blatantly embarked on imitating their fashion and show biz culture.                                                                     

We have welcomed the invitation of universalisation of education from the West without questioning or thinking about what kind and quality of education is needed by our society and culture. Many articles (exceptions are there) depictingb this reality have already made their debut. These articles are rich in the art of statistical documentation and description which includes counting the percentage of illiteracy, dropouts, number of school buildings and their deplorable physical condition. Along with this, male-female literacy rate, lack of teaching staff and the mention of the slender allocation to education in the national budget are also highlighted in such articles. Nobody of sane understanding would deny their importance but the irony is, these are simply a blind imitation of the western mode of education as they do not analyse and exam our own realities and problems.

Our policy-makers who usually belong to the aristocratic minority and enjoy their closed and posh city culture are entrusted with the task of framing educational system and policy, without having the first hand knowledge of the poor majority's problems. It is for this reason that they are unable to make a policy that caters to the poor class.

A student did her anthropology-research in a Potohari village. She lived in the village for three months to do the required study. The data collected from the village revealed that the majority of the villagers showed negative attitude toward the formal educational system in vogue. Nevertheless, they were willing to get the type of education that could educate them skillfully and fruitfully in the field of agriculture.   

In the context of our society where our social system displays enormous dissimilarities from the West, one wonders how the western model of education could be clothed in our common people's way of living. Harping on universalisation of education in order to impose it upon the east exactly on the fashion exported by the west is no less than accepting western culture's domination in the form of educational model along with its culture.

It is due to this reason that the imported textbook prescribed in schools often fail to cater to the educational needs of the local students since they contain text and information that is not applicable in the eastern society thus fail to educate the students effectively. Unfortunately, the elite of the country have turned a blind eye towards this issue and are bent on mindlessly adopting the western form of education.                  

Ali Mazrui, a well-known professor in the USA, who has authored many books, has well realised the implication of this trap. When, for example, the physical colonisation of the Third World countries was no more possible or no more justifiable in the eyes of the democratised civilization of the West, a new mode of colonisation was invented. Mazrui called it cultural dependency; and some Indian social scientists termed it 'academic colonialism'.

Cultural dependency has continued through educational dependency even after the physical independence of the formerly colonised countries so that the economic and political decision-making here at home could be influenced to favour neo-colonialism. The former colonial powers by providing higher educational facilities in an attractive way not only make the natives love their style of education system and imitate them but also inculcate in them the western system of values and culture. Mazrui notes that "An African who completely embraces the western system of values, be it liberal or Marxist, is denying himself a chance to break loose from the intellectual hegemony of the west."

The question is how long shall we go on imitating and borrowing alien models? The freedom fighters during their struggle for independence concentrated their intellectual powers for achieving freedom, as that was the prime objective in the process of decolonisation. It also makes sense to say that in the initial phase after independence the fascination of freedom was so remarkable that other important factors might have become submerged.

After independence we essentially need decolonisation of education and this has to be through a process of indigenisation. It has to be a cultural action for freedom -- freedom of the captive mind. The mechanistic theory of education of the west has been very cleverly devised to maintain and reinforce the hierarchical system of power and rule without understanding it. In order to dispel this magic the first step is to liberate our mind through a demand for indigenisation of the educational system, to devise our own educational model through thoughtful analysis of our society and culture to replace the existing trends of knowing.                    

Language
Learning Arabic language to understand religion
Pakistan is an Islamic country and all of the basic Islamic literature (i.e. Quran and Hadith) are in Arabic language. Therefore, to have a firm grasp on religious knowledge it is essential for any Islamic country especially for Pakistan to have Arabic language as a compulsory subject in the educational institutions

By Qazi Akhtar Jamal

Quite some time back it was announced that the Sindh Education Department has decided to introduce Arabic language as a subject at Matric level since it will help Pakistanis in getting employment in the Gulf States. This decision of the Sindh Education Department is indeed appreciable and it should be implemented as early as possible since it has many other benefits as well.

The famous Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Sindhi scholar Dr Ghulam Mustafa Khan, writes in one of his articles titled Hamaara Mu'aashrah aur Arabi (Our Society and Arabic) which has been published in Makhzan-e-Adab, textbook for degree classes, that the survival of the Muslim society is impossible without Arabic. At another place in the same article he writes, "I wonder if the Urdu and Persian faculty members of colleges and universities are even aware of Arabic language since it is extremely essential for them especially while teaching poetry. How can they teach eulogies (Qaseeday) of Sauda, Zauq, Momin, and Munir Shikoh Abaadi and how can they understand the poetry of Mohsin Kaakorvi, if they are unaware of the Arabic language and Islamic Studies. To understand the evolution of Urdu Ghazal, understanding of Arabic language is an obligation."

Yet another reason behind the introduction of Arabic language at Matric level is to develop the understanding of religion. Pakistan is an Islamic country and all of the basic Islamic literature (i.e. Quran and Hadith) are in Arabic language. Therefore, to have a firm grasp on religious knowledge it is essential for any Islamic country especially Pakistan to have Arabic language as a compulsory subject in the educational institutions.

Once, a Christian friend said that instead of reciting prayers in Arabic language while praying, Muslims like Christians should use the translation of the Holy Quran since most of them do not understand Arabic. However, this suggestion cannot be implemented because the Holy Quran contains the real words of God and no human translation can substitute God's words. It is because of this that we Muslims cannot use translations of the Holy Quran while praying.

To this end, it is the responsibility of every Muslim to try his/her level best to understand the Holy Quran and the best way of doing so is not by reading translations but by learning Arabic language. However, since learning this language requires quite a lot of time therefore, for quick guidance one may use the translations.

Dr Mohammad Ameen of the University of Punjab, who is also working for Tehreek-e-Islaah-e-Taaleem (Movement of Educational Reform), writes in the preface of his book "Hamaara Taaleemi Bohraan Aur os ka Hal" (Our Educational Crisis and its Solution), "our education system is in crisis, failed, as it has lost its ideological basis. There may be some more reasons but the main reason is the absence of (Islamic) ideology. In short it is the Ummul Amraaz (The mother of all diseases)."

He further writes, "the biggest fault of our education system and our biggest misfortune as well as the cause of our decline is that we have drifted away from the Holy Quran, the most basic source of understanding. Since the Holy Quran is in Arabic language and one can never be able to understand it without knowing the Arabic language."

Javaid Ahmad Ghamdi, another Scholar, on Page 29 of his book Maqaamaat writes, that the basic reason behind the failure of our educational system is secularism. It depends on the belief that the human beings can solve their problems without any guidance from the Creator. Though Islamiyat is a compulsory subject in our system of education but because of the absence of a basic change all the educational systems have become a collection of contradictions."

At another instance he contradicts Quaid-i-Azam's quotation that "Qur'an will be the constitution of Pakistan". He writes, "If it is so then I wonder that what type of a country is this in which a very significant majority (almost all) of the high officials cannot even read and understand the language of the constitution."

At a seminar on "The War of Independence, 1857" held at the University of Karachi, Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Gujraat said in his speech that learning the Arabic language is essential for Muslims. This is why we are thinking of establishing such an institution at least at university level, in which we can teach and promote Arabic language to as many students as possible."

He stated that in this connection he has also met scholars like Javaid Ahmed Ghamdi. Dr Nizamuddin said that it is impossible to debate with the scholars of Madresahs, who have a vast knowledge of Arabic, Quran and Sunnah than the traditional degree holders of Master or Ph.D. Therefore, it is vital to create, implement and maintain such a system in which a high level of reading, writing, speaking and understanding of Arabic language is mandatory in order to acquire any degree of Masters or higher level in any subject that is directly or indirectly related to Islamic History or Islamic Studies.

Syed Mohammad Abul Khair Kashfi, the former Head of the Department of Urdu of the University of Karachi, in a ceremony of "Shaam-e-Hamdard" said, "Every journey has a specific goal and a specific direction. We have to direct our goals for the twenty first century in the light of Quran and Sunnah." Dr Mohammad Allama Iqbal, Maulana Maududi, Dr Israr Ahmed, Hameeduddin Rafahi and almost every real scholar agrees with the fact and believe that every Muslim should know Arabic language in order to have a clear and complete understanding of their religion because faith is incomplete without understanding.