THE Economic Survey of Pakistan says there are 170 degree-awarding institutions in Pakistan, in which some 1.3 million students are enrolled. Public expenditure on education is estimated at 2.2 per cent of GDP. Yet higher education institutions in the country churn out graduates, MPhils and PhDs each year at an astounding rate. The number of institutions, as well as research papers, is increasing. But is the education sector really booming?

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The answer is yes, if you own an educational institution or are involved in the ‘business’ of education. But it is a fact that the quality of our graduates is falling. Why have public-sector universities stopped producing minds like Dr Atta-ur-Rahman and Dr Abdus Salam?

The focus of higher education in Pakistan today is more on numbers and less on quality. The ‘number’ of institutions, the ‘number’ of PhDs, the ‘number’ of research articles/papers published. No one takes quality into account. Can a person with more than 50 research papers to his/her credit be compared to someone with fewer research papers but whose work has revolutionised the world of nanotechnology or explained the intricacies involved in artificial intelligence?

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The numbers game is multiplied many a time by ‘sub campuses’. I was amazed when I interacted with students studying for their MPhil in English literature at the sub campus in Layyah of a private institution whose main campus is located in Lahore. Their application in English for a clerical job at our office could have been written much better by an eighth-grader from any English-medium school in Lahore. But proficiency in English is not the real problem. Let alone analytical skills, these institutions even fail to instil in students the confidence to speak their mind. Not even in their own language. One cannot imagine the level of expertise of students studying technical courses such as engineering and emerging technologies — which are also being offered by sub campuses.

Is the education sector really booming?

I visited the Layyah sub campus to ascertain the university’s authenticity. Located in a residential area, the building could have been mistaken for someone’s home. The only thing distinguishing it from the other houses was a small plaque in front indicating it was an ‘HEC recognised university’.

The idea of sub campuses is a simple one. They cater to students from far-flung areas where there are few options for higher studies. In addition, some sub campuses in big cities also serve students who otherwise fail to gain admission on merit to well-reputed institutions. They are at the same time a source of income for both the original public and private universities and their owners. It appears a win-win situation for all, except that it is not. It is a lose-lose situation in terms of quality and output.

The job market is very tough, and not just in Pakistan. Once a student graduates, he has two clear paths ahead of him or her: a) to jump right into a job, or b) to pursue a higher degree. Many students are frustrated after searching in vain for employment, and end up in higher education classrooms again. They do so not for the love of studies, but to keep themselves busy and relevant in the difficult job market. In my few years of public service, I have seen numerous applicants with Masters and MPhils from these institutions applying for clerical jobs. Most of them fall into the second category, and that too with degrees mostly from sub campuses.

There is a dire need for education counselling for students at the graduate level. Higher studies should of course be the aim, but not for the sake of adding another degree to one’s resumé or because this was the only course the sub campus was offering at that time. Perhaps the MPhil and PhD route is the best one to take if the aim is to become a researcher or if one is genuinely interested in gaining deeper knowledge. However, if the objective is employment in the public or private sector at entry level, the fact is these qualifications are not required.

The country’s education sector is fairly well regulated by the HEC, which has done some commendable work in establishing systems for the uplift of higher education in Pakistan. But the focus must shift now towards quality. The government aims to spend 4pc of its GDP on education by 2018, which seems rather impossible considering the current rate of 2.83pc. The fact that no Pakistani university ranks in top 100 global listings is disturbing. Perhaps concentrating on fewer but quality universities would have a greater impact than establishing numerous newer universities and sub campuses. The ‘numbers’ game has to stop once and for all.

The writer is a civil servant at the Planning and Development Department.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2017