'Regulatory authorities should play due role in education sector'

Former chairman Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said that regulatory authorities should effectively play their role in the country, especially when education sector has become an industry. While talking to Business Recorder, Dr Mukhtar said the private education sector should work as per their laws and acts.
"Three years back, I had told the private sector that before initiating any programme or starting any new campus it should take permission from the governor through Punjab the Higher Education Commission."
He also said that the Punjab Higher Education Department had taken the right decision of closing sub-campuses of the private universities who were working without the approval of governor who is also the patron-in-chief of universities of the province.
He said the Punjab Higher Education Commission and Sindh Education Commission should work independently and there should be no influence of provincial higher education departments on the commissions. He also said that provincial commissions should be given full autonomy so that they can work without any pressure.
"It is the responsibility of provincial higher education commission to work collaboration with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for improvement of the quality of college education and play their role in solving the issues faced by higher education sector at college level.
Mukhtar said he took decisions without any political pressure. He said he closed 250 illegal campuses and many unverified degree programs of both public and private sector universities. If the education institutions run their programs by maintaining quality and as per legal requirements, it will be financially beneficial for both the students as well as the institute, he suggested.
The former chairman HEC said that in 2018 the budget of higher education was Rs 117 billion. "The problem of governance is common in universities and I also consider vice chancellors responsible for this," he said.
He also said that vice chancellors should step out of social media and focus on the real aspects of the university. While answering a question regarding closure of two years degree programmes in colleges, Dr Mukhtar was of the view that the model which was adopted to replace the two year degree program was not correct. It will increase the problems. He said no change will come only by changing the names of degrees.
Regarding implementation of any program in the country, "we have to think globally but act locally," he said. While referring to a question regarding budget cut of universities, Dr Mukhtar said universities don't have any planning of running their financial affairs before the announcement of budget cuts.
"It is wise to rectify the problems before they get worse," he said. He was of the view that budget cuts are the results of the hostile policies towards education.