The HEC has contributed a lot for raising the standard of education in Pakistan. Development progress in education sector of Pakistan made by HEC is an example for all government organisations in Pakistan.
The transparency in their policies and merit based selection of students from the whole country has increased the morale of students who were not able to study abroad for higher education due to financial reasons in past several years.
These research students are required to serve Pakistan after completion of their doctorate degree. Therefore, HEC has provided a hope for development of the country in future. However, current government has taken an initiative to dissole HEC to provincial governments. This step may create several problems for country in future. If every province will have its own governing organisation of universities, then in future every province will create new policies for universities. This may create different standards of education in all provinces.
There will be no such standard on which the level of quality education of all provinces will be measured. Furthermore, there will also be confusion for the scholarship donor countries to select competent students. Furthermore, due to possibility of reduction in financial support, there is possibility that the researchers may migrate to other countries and may leave Pakistan.
What will be the future of universities, scholars, education standards, HEC employees, unity among provinces? It is the need of the hour to analyse the future needs of standard education in Pakistan and stop segmenting HEC.
GHOUSIA IMRAN
Lahore