LAHORE: Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Dr Nizamuddin says restructuring of colleges, introduction of the best education system and improvement in infrastructure will be his priority to bring reforms in higher education.

Speaking at a seminar organised by the Punjab University Institute of Social and Cultural Studies on “Role of Punjab Higher Education Commission in Promotion of Tertiary Education in Punjab” on Monday, he said bringing about reforms and reorganising colleges would be a tough challenge in the wake of resistance from various stakeholders.

Mr Nizamuddin said there was need to improve performance of 516 public colleges in the province because their results were not more than 30pc in degree examinations.

On the contrary, he said, the pass percentage of around 1,500 private colleges in graduation was more than 85pc and that’s why people were giving preference to private institutes. He said the higher education commission would ensure success of four-year degree programmes going on at public sector colleges by introducing reforms.

Mr Nizamuddin said the PHEC would review whether the curricula of BA and BCom were according to the modern needs and market-driven as students were not getting jobs after graduation. He said the commission would take several initiatives, including establishment of training academies of teachers and a system for quality assurance at colleges.

The PHEC chairman said some colleges would be opened in various cities on an experimental basis on the pattern of the Government Home Economics College and four-year degrees would be offered after matriculation. He said the commission would also plan community college system that would provide better job opportunities and affordable education to people, adding that a technical university would be set up and the three-year degree programme being offered by Tevta would be enhanced to the four-year programme.

The PHEC chairman regretted that only eight percent people were reaching higher education level while the ratio was 12pc in Bangladesh, 18pc in India and 29pc in Turkey.

Published in Dawn January 27th, 2015

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