CSS 2012 Solved Current Affairs Past Papers | Issues in higher education System vis-à-vis 18th Amendment
The following question of CSS Current Affairs 2012 is solved by Sir Ammar Hashmi, the best Current Affairs Coach, on the guided pattern of Sir Syed Kazim Ali, which he taught to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory subjects for years. This solved past paper question is uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Question breakdown
This question has one part in which we are asked to discuss the issues in Pakistan’s higher education system by considering the 18th constitutional amendment.
Outline
1-Introduction
2-An Overview of the 18th Amendment in Pakistan’s Constitution
3-The issues in the higher educational system in Pakistan vis-à-vis the 18th Amendment
- ✓Lack of uniformity
Case Study: 4 provincial HECs, each with a different policy, as reported by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan
- ✓Decrease in federal budget
Case Study: 30% decrease in federal funding for education, from 140 billion to 102 billion rupees
- ✓Institutional autonomy issues
Case Study: 40% of universities have limited autonomy
- ✓Lower quality of education
Case Study: Increase in the number of private universities, a number of which remain unaccredited
- ✓Research and innovation gaps
Case Study: National Center for Artificial Intelligence funding constraints, making Pakistan rank
137/157 in the global innovation index
- ✓Outdated curriculum
Case Study: Pakistan’s education courses focus mainly on history and social sciences, with a limited focus on science and technology
4-Critical Analysis
5-Conclusion
Introduction
Education, considered a strategic imperative by Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, is one of the factors determining a nation’s fate. Because of education, many countries, especially developed countries, have made their international standings and become socially, culturally, politically, and economically prosperous. Unfortunately, Pakistan has not been among the list of these developed countries; instead, Pakistan lags in the race, impacting its social, political, economic, and cultural development. Atop that, the 18th amendment, liked by many for some of its provisions, has further exaggerated the crisis of education in Pakistan, for it has led to a decrease in federal funds, poor quality university accreditation, autonomy issues, and outdated curricula, proving the 18th amendment has negatively impacted Pakistan’s education.
The 18th Amendment in Pakistan’s constitution
The National Assembly of Pakistan passed the amendment on April 8th, 2010. Then, the bill was signed by Asif Ali Zardari, the then President, on April 19th, 2010, making it the first amendment after 1973 to decrease the president’s power. It was put forward to sweep the amendments by Parvez Musharraf and make Pakistan a parliamentary form of government. This amendment has brought several benefits for the federation. Still, on the other hand, the cons it bore, especially related to education and health, have badly impeded Pakistan’s prosperity and progress. The following are some of the amendment’s impacts on Pakistan’s education sector.
The issues in the higher educational system of Pakistan vis-à-vis the 18th amendment
The devolution of powers to the provincial governments in Pakistan through the 18th Amendment has had various impacts on the education system. Some of the most significant impacts are as follows:.
- ✓Lack of Uniformity:
It should be noted that the 18th Amendment has caused fragmentation in the management of Pakistan’s education sector, resulting in four provincial HECs instead of one, which has disrupted uniformity in the education sector. These four provincial HECs follow different education policies, with other funding and curricula, affecting Pakistan’s education progress, as stated by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.
- ✓Decrease in Federal Education Budget:
Second, the 18th Amendment has also decreased the federal budget for education, pushing the sector into an abyss. Previously, the federal budget for education was 140 billion rupees, but after the amendment, it decreased by 30 percent to 102 billion rupees and is now further below the 100 billion benchmark. This has badly affected Pakistan’s higher education, lowering Pakistan’s global higher education ranking to 116/140, and has added fuel to the already burning issue of education in Pakistan.
- ✓Institutional autonomy issues:
Third, the 18th Amendment has affected Pakistan’s universities, so they now struggle for autonomy concerning their internal administration. As stated by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, around forty percent of Pakistan’s universities, including public and private, have reported limited autonomy. For instance, the case of Lahore University of Management Sciences presents a horrific picture of how the issue of autonomy impedes education progress.
- ✓Lower quality of education:
Fourth, the 18th Amendment has also affected the quality of education in Pakistan, leading to an increase in private universities in provinces without any restraint or check. Around 30 % of universities remain unaccredited. Day by day, new universities are being established with little focus on quality and research. Moreover, the issue of accreditation and the opening of new universities has also been overshadowed by the dark clouds of politicization, further accentuating the issue.
- ✓Research and Innovation Gap:
Fifth and one of the most significant impacts of the 18th Amendment on education is the research and innovation gap. The amendment has led to limited research funding by the federal government for provinces, which has led to decreased innovation and publications by Pakistan’s intellectuals. Further, Pakistan’s rank in the global innovation index has fallen to 137/157, making Pakistan’s picture look abysmal. The National Center for Artificial Intelligence’s funding constraints present a good example of lagging in research and development.
- ✓Outdated Curriculum:
Last but not least, the 18th Amendment has sidelined the idea of a single national curriculum and buried the idea of advanced and scientific data in the national curriculum. Most of the syllabus is outdated, focusing mainly on history, social sciences, and literature, and it cannot cope with the day’s requirements. All these arguments signify the negative impacts of the amendment on Pakistan’s education sector.
Critical analysis
Critically, the 18th amendment is being liked and adored by many intellectuals, for they consider it a significant step towards a better federation and welfare state, as it brings with it several pros for the better functioning of the state. However, there are some issues that it puts forward, primarily related to education, followed by health, and others. For example, the issue of autonomy linked to provincial universities emerged after the amendment. Similarly, the concerns regarding poor quality private universities, technological and urban-rural disparities, insufficient funding from the federal budget, and outdated curricula came into the spotlight after this amendment. Looking at the scenario, one can easily say that although the amendment proves beneficial in certain scenarios, it has caused much damage to the education sector of Pakistan.
Conclusion
To conclude, Pakistan, ranking 137/157 in the global innovation index, has further deteriorated regarding education. The 18th Amendment, having decreased the federal budget for education, paved the way for many poor-quality university accreditations, leading to autonomy issues, and causing policy disparities among the provincial HECs, has impacted Pakistan’s education. It has exaggerated the already burnt-to-ashes condition of the country’s education sector, making Pakistan lag behind other nations. It needs an hour for the government to look into the matter and take some sensible measures to solve the issue.
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