Education is our top priority and the government is committed to improving the quality of college education at par with global standards.
For this, we have introduced qualitative reforms in this sector. This was said by the Provincial Minister for Higher Education Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz while presiding over a “Stakeholder Conference on Higher Education Reforms” on Wednesday at the University of Engineering and Technology.
The conference was organised by the Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC). Chairman Prof Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid, Public Instruction director, (DPI) Colleges Jahangir Ahmad, vice-chancellors from as many as 26 public sector universities and principals from approximately 773 public sector colleges of Punjab attended the interactive conference aimed at garnering the constructive feedback on issues related to quality in higher education, effective management, coordination, and government policies on higher education.
Addressing the vice-chancellors and principals, the minister clarified the misconceptions being circulating the in social media or other public spheres, saying that colleges offering two-years degree programmes across the province were being renamed as community college, however, no structural or administrative changes being introduced, “No public sector college is being handed over to Board of Governors or getting privatized.
Change in nomenclature will neither increase tuition fees nor will affect the placement of college teachers” the minister clarified. He added that the colleges would be affiliated with the universities which will be responsible for the academic matters, however administratively colleges would fall under the domain of HED.
The minister further said that public sector colleges offering 4-year degree programmes will be renamed as graduate colleges whereas those offering two-year degrees as community colleges. He added at least college – one boys and one girls – in each district will be the graduate colleges that will be affiliated with the relevant district or divisional university.
Stressing on the need of the community colleges, Raja Yasser Humayun said that our curricula, in vogue in colleges, were lacking skills necessary for employability in the market, “the introduction of community colleges model will equip students with the market driven skills along with theoretical knowledge which will widen the career prospects for the students” he added.
