VCs Urge To Increase Higher Education Allocations In New Budget

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2021 ) :The vice chancellors and other stakeholders have urged the government to increase allocations for higher education in the new budget keeping in view the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and high inflation rate.

They said the higher education sector cannot sustain without a significant increase in funding, therefore an announcement of a special relief package in the coming budget should be made.

The vice-chancellors and other representatives stated this while addressing the live webinar on the topic of "Budget 2021-22: Needs & Expectations of Higher Education Sector".

Second, in series, this consultative session was organized by the Association of Private Sector Universities Pakistan (APSUP), Superior University, Inter-University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences Pakistan (IUCPSS), University of Lahore, Government College University Lahore, and FPCCI Central CSR Committee on Higher Education, Science, and Technology.

Speakers recommended increase allocations for education by Federal and provincial governments to 0.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually till it reaches 5.0% of GDP.

They said the government spending on higher education remained less than $250 per student per year. During the webinar, it was apprised that in the last five years, HEC 's recurring budget remained stagnant, i.e. Rs63.183 billion in 2017-18, Rs65.020 in 2018-19, Rs64.100 in 2019-20, same allocation of Rs64.100 in 2020-21 and Rs65 billion, the proposed allocation for 2021-22. These allocations remained insufficient to meet the requirements of the 138 public sector universities with 92 sub-campuses.

All academic leaders suggested allocating 150 billion rupees in the new budget as a recurring budget to overcome the years-long deficit and financial problems being faced by Pakistani universities.

This session was moderated by Murtaza Noor, Coordinator General of the IUCPSS, and Executive Director APSUP. Panelists included Vice Chancellors from Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Shaheed, Hazara University Mansehra, University of Turbat, National Skills University Islamabad, Punjab University of Technology Rasul, Government College Women University Sialkot, Iqra University Karachi, Pro-Vice-Chancellor University of Punjab, and General Secretary Central FAPUASA.

All these academic leaders recommended for education emergency, allocation of funds for indigenous COVID-19 vaccination production and up-gradation of laboratories, announcement of special relief package for higher education amid COVID-19 pandemic. They also recommended for launching of separate television station for higher education sector, involvement of universities in budget formulation process, involvement of stakeholders and end-users across Pakistan in policy formulation process, encouraging public-private partnerships in higher education sector, review and increase in salaries of faculty in view of high inflation rate, restoring tax rebate to 75% for teaching and research community.

The establishment of special fund for payment of pensions, provision of internet devices to the students, review of policy for establishing new universities without proper qualified faculty and funding, promoting culture of intelligent classrooms, sufficient funding for continuous faculty development programs and paying special attention towards social sciences and skill-based learning were also among the recommendations.

They also vowed to undertake collaborative efforts and adopting an innovative approach to overcome challenges being faced by the higher education sector.

In his concluding remarks, Prof Mukhtar, currently serving as vice-chancellor of the National Skills University and founding chairperson of the IUCPSS, appreciated the efforts of Murtaza Noor for bringing public and private sector academic higher education institutions to work jointly for improving and aligning educational practices and university governance along with modern methods.