VCs seek increase in allocation for education

The meeting of Vice-Chancellors' Committee demanded of the government to allocate minimum four percent of GDP for education sector in the next budget for achieving higher literacy rate and radically improving the standard of education in the country.
The Vice-Chancellors' Committee meeting, which was participated by as any as 40 Vice-Chancellors of the government run universities from across the country was held under the chairmanship of Professor Dr Imtiaz Gilani, vice-chancellor University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar. PU vice-chancellor Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran also addressed the meeting. In a unanimously passed resolution, copies of which were also supplied to the media persons at a briefing soon after conclusion of the meeting, stated that the Vice-Chancellors' committee appreciates the release of funds by the Federal Government to meet immediate requirements of universities in their difficult financial conditions.
The Vice-Chancellors' Committee feels that all policy commitments made by government for education must be fulfilled in letter and spirit. The resolution further maintained that global average of spending on education is 4.9 percent of GDP, while Pakistan ranks amongst the lowest in the entire world in terms of percentage of GDP spent on education promotion.
The meeting resolves that the higher education must remain a federal subject while a well functioning controlling body is needed to develop, guide and steer higher education. The participating vice-chancellors, therefore, urged that HEC must continue its current role and its independence must be continuously protected. The meeting also adopted a slogan "Four to education-road to salvation" to impress upon the ruling leadership that salvation of the country and nation lies in allocation of four percent of GDP to education sector.
Imtiaz Gilani while apprising newsmen about major decisions of the Vice-Chancellors' Committee meeting, observed that media should also endeavour through its press and electronic publicity to raise awareness amongst the general public for prevailing upon their elected representatives to earmark at least four percent of GDP for promotion and development of education for rapid socio-economic development of the country.
He also paid rich tributes to Dr Kamran and his devoted administrative team for making excellent security and other arrangements for holding the meeting and the generous hospitality extended to the visiting Vice-Chancellors during their stay in Lahore.
While replying to a question, Dr Kamran informed that against the total recurring grant amounting to Rs 29 billion and development grant of Rs 65 billion needed by all the public sector universities during the ongoing fiscal year, the federal government has so far released Rs 29 billion and Rs 6.55 billion, respectively.