According to the authorities, the low number of applicants for government colleges means that students are showing a marked preference for private institutions. Is this surprising given the relatively better standard of education they offer? - File Photo.

It has been reported that 30,000 seats may not be filled in Karachi's colleges and higher secondary schools in the public sector as sufficient applications for admissions have not been received. This underlines the appalling state of affairs in higher education in the city and indicates that college education is suffering from poor planning and there is a serious disconnect between demand and supply.

At another level, it confirms the decadence that has beset public-sector education. There was a time when all colleges had been nationalised and private colleges were not allowed to operate. The pressure on government institutions for admission from students passing the secondary school-leaving examination was immense. The slow pace of expansion of college education forced thousands of students to drop out. That would not have been such a bad thing if a sufficient number of polytechnics had simultaneously been established to train young men and women for the job market. Today the scene has changed. The government has opened new colleges while the private sector has been permitted to enter the college education sector as well.

According to the authorities, the low number of applicants for government colleges means that students are showing a marked preference for private institutions. Is this surprising given the relatively better standard of education they offer? Even the higher fee they charge does not deter students from approaching them. There is also another factor science subjects are in greater demand and there are not sufficient seats for this faculty. In view of the higher cost of establishing laboratories, the government is hesitant to invest in science education even though this makes its planning lopsided.

It would help if the education authorities and those managing the industrial, financial and services sectors were to carry out a joint assessment exercise every few years to determine the nature and number of jobs available in the employment market and match these with the education facilities to be created in various disciplines. It makes no sense to have a glut of unemployed highly educated young professionals in one area with a dearth of trained people in other sectors.