More than 500 students from different universities as well as employees of Higher Education Commission (HEC) staged a protest in front of the commission Tuesday, demanding that government does not devolve HEC. The students were holding placards and banners inscribed with the slogans 'do not merge politics with HEC, devolution not acceptable, let us build Pakistan-no shredding of HEC, and do not put HEC to stone age'.
Talking to APP, a student of Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) Mahjabeen said that the devolution of HEC will ruin the decade-long progress in higher education sector, destroying future of students who are the main stakeholders in all this process. She said that the process of devolution of the departments and ministries under 18th constitutional amendment is a good initiative to make the provinces independent, however, HEC must be kept as a federal unit considering its progress and achievements.
Institutions like HEC are developed with the efforts of several years and must not be destroyed at once without thorough debate over its impact on the future of generations, she stressed. The studies of the students who utilising 45,000 e-books and 23,000 e-journals from Digital Library of HEC for completion of M.Phil will be affected badly.
Another student Nosheen said that some students who are on foreign scholarships have completed three years while others five years. All are worried and uncertain about their future. Moreover, Pakistan Education and Research Network (PERN) providing high-speed 10 GB connectivity among universities will be stopped. US $300 million World Bank loan to government and USAID plan to provide US $250 million for supporting higher education sector would be withdrawn, she feared.
Another university student Mubarik Ali said that there will be more political interference in the educational matters after transfer of powers to the provinces. HEC is the only institution, which has achieved tremendous progress and sustained its progress when the country is faced with the multiple crises, he said. Mubarik opined that the elements, which are involved in HEC devolution, have 'their eye on the funds of the commission'. Students said that protests will continue at different levels by students and educationists until their demand is met.