IN the present world no nation can progress without higher education and quality research. According to the Higher Education Commission, only eight per cent people in Pakistan have access to higher education, whereas in Indonesia the accessibility rate is up to 28 per cent, in Malaysia 31 per cent, in Turkey 38 per cent and in developed countries it is 60 per cent and above.
Acquiring education is going to be a difficult thing in Pakistan for poor and middle class students, because of the rising fees charged by private institutions, on the one hand, and limited seats and self-finance schemes in public sector institutions, on the other hand.
As a principle, the seats which have been given to meritorious poor students are being sold to non-deserving affluent candidates, on the one hand, and the number of seats on merit are not adequate enough to meet the need of the population, on the other hand. As a result, many good students do not get admission. This is tantamount to depriving poor students of education, which is a basic right of every citizen. This sort of attitude by the government gives rise to anarchy, depression and socioeconomic disparity in society.
Sindh University and Karachi University are the backbones of Sindh’s education, economy and progress.
The most serious problem of both these universities is political interference through students group affiliated with political parties and lack of political will and callous attitude of the government.
Students groups are responsible for frequent suspension of classes, ransacking of departments, armed clashes and all other disturbances. Murdering faculty members and innocent students have become the order of the day.
None of the political parties have realised the gravity of the situation and raised an effective voice over it except Abrar Kazi and Hussain Bux Narejo, of the Awami Jumhori Party, who have launched a campaign in this regard.
Incidentally, I have visited all educational institutions at Haytabad, Peshawar, including Peshawar University, medical and engineering colleges.
I was told that no political student organisation existed at the campus and all the political parties in KP have consensus on this point. As a result of which we can see that most of the competitive posts in the centre are acquired by candidates from KP.
If at all required, non-political unions may be established for the welfare of students to promote academic and non-academic activities like sports, debates and other social programmes.
Finally, I will request all political parties, including religious and nationalist groups, to spare at least teaching institutions in Sindh and to get united on this single agenda so as not to deprive poor students of their right to education.
Also, a last request to the government to maintain law and order in universities at least, and there should be no self-finance schemes in public-sector institutions. This is vital for Sindh.
Dr FATEH M. KHAN Former Director-General Health Services, Sindh Karachi