AIOU Assignment BEd 1.5 Year 8625 Higher Education Assignment 1

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Course Higher Education (8625)
Level BEd (1.5Year)
Assignments NO 01

Q.1 Elaborate the role of higher education in socio economic development .also discuss the major function a university play in society.

Role of higher education in socio economic development:
The Importance of Education in Economic Development
(A)Various government initiatives are being adopted to boost the growth of distance education market, besides focusing on new education techniques, such as Learning and M-learning.

(B) Education sector has seen a host of reforms and improved financial outlays in recent years that could possibly transform the country into a knowledge haven. With human resource increasingly gaining significance in the overall development of the country, development of education infrastructure is expected to remain the key focus in the current decade. In this scenario, infrastructure investment in the education sector is likely to see a considerable increase in the current decade Moreover, availability of English speaking tech-educated talent, democratic governance and a strong legal and intellectual property protection framework are enablers for world class product development, as per Mr. Amity Pandas, President-Engineering and Site Leader for Cisco (India).

(C) The Government of India has taken several steps including opening of IIT’s and IIM’s in new locations as well as allocating educational grants for research scholars in most government institutions. Furthermore, with online modes of education being used by several educational organizations, the higher education sector in India is set for some major changes and developments in the years to come.

(D) Prior to the nineteenth century, systematic investment in human capital was not considered especially important in any country. Expenditures on schooling, on-the-job training, and other similar forms of investment were quite small. This began to change radically during this century with the application of science to the development of new goods and more efficient methods of production, first in Great Britain, and then gradually in other countries.

(E) Many countries are now on the brink of a further increase in access to secondary and higher education and in effecting spectacular improvements in the quality of education offered at all levels. As increasing numbers of students complete their basic education, their demand for education at higher levels is similarly increasing. Educating girls and women is probably the single most effective investment a developing country can make, whether or not women work outside the home. It creates a multitude of positive remunerations for families including better family health and nutrition, improved birth spacing, lower infant and child mortality, and enhanced educational attainment of children.

The major function a university play in society.
It is commonly perceived that education is the most powerful weapon in alleviating poverty, elevating economic growth, producing skilled human resource, creating a healthy and enlightened social environment and making self-sufficient nations. Poverty and education are paradoxically related to each other: if one is improved, the other is decreased.

In a socially, economically, religiously and culturally diverse state like Pakistan, higher education institutions and universities, imparting education and conducting cutting edge research, are the central mechanisms that can raise the declining social and economic infrastructure of the country. Since the 2000s, there has been rapid growth in these institutions and universities across Pakistan as is evident from the sharp rise in their numbers from just 32 in 2001 to 160 at present.

Pakistan, despite rapid growth in the education sector during the past decade, suffers from severe challenges in its educational development. These challenges include lack of access to higher education for the majority of its youth, results oriented standards of pedagogical techniques, brain drain of qualified human resource and lack of adaptability to changing paradigms of academic research. Out of a population of 190 million, only five percent of them have access to university level education. It is worth mentioning that, by the end of 2022, Pakistan needs 36 million new jobs if the economy grows up to six percent annually.

Therefore, it is the premier duty of all national universities to produce graduates who fulfil the criteria of the national, social and economic needs of the country. In this regard, the role of career counselling and placement offices at the university level becomes very important. In the 21st century, the paradigm of universities has shifted from traditional aspects of teaching and learning towards building communities, economies and patterns of leadership.

Education, either basic or higher, plays a key role in the development of human capital that subsequently brings about the establishment of sound economies and harmonious communities. There is an immediate need to initiate radical educational reforms so that these challenges can be addressed proactively. The following is an exercise in this regard.

To begin with, the ministry of education, ministry of finance, planning commission, standing committees on basic and technical education and the higher education commission of Pakistan should assist these universities, both public and private, in establishing on-campus university-community partnership centres. These centres should work on the pattern of think tanks and should devise mechanisms to address dominant social problems, prepare modules and schemes for the outreach of educational facilities and bridging linkages with communities for sharing of knowledge. Secondly, since Pakistan is a traditional society with different demographical characteristics, whereby more than 30 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and more than 600,000 young graduates are adding to unemployment every year, these higher learning institutions and universities should develop terms of reference (Torso) to provide financial assistance to talented individuals who otherwise cannot afford university education.

Thirdly, to streamline and ensure effective utilisation of public funds allocated for development of higher education in Pakistan by the concerned commissions and universities, the concerned ministries and planning commissions should primarily focus on building grass-root level education in primary schools, especially in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Fourth, universities should focus on creating an entrepreneurial culture among their graduates. They should produce job creators rather than producing job seekers. This can be attained through the establishment of effective business incubation centres, encouraging partnerships between industry and academia and placing career counselling offices that should work on intellectual and professional development of the graduates during the course of their studies in order to prepare them today for the challenges of tomorrow.

Fifth, education never means to earn; it means to spend. The best way to spend is spending on education and research that later on addresses the social, political, environmental and economic problems of Pakistan. Universities can play a vital role in this regard through fostering reciprocal partnerships with other educational organisations and community development centres to identify real life problems. Community development participation should be made mandatory for teachers and students at the university level. If the prestigious Australian Endeavour Award can assign 35 percent of its total evaluation marks towards the contribution of individual applicants towards community services than why can students at our universities in Pakistan not be prepared on similar lines? Moreover, since Pakistan has always been a victim of natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes, it will be beneficial if various emergency training programmes and courses related to disaster management are incorporated in the curriculum.

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Q.2 explains the status of higher education in Pakistan and critically discusses planning of higher education in Pakistan.

Status of higher education in Pakistan:
Education is the basic right of every citizen living in any country and this right is provided amicably by all developed countries on a priority basis. But in Pakistan, consumers of educational services – parents and students – have been left with little choice or idea when it comes to seeking higher education. Higher education is a powerful and essential tool for building a modern, knowledgeable, cultured and peaceful society. It imparts in-depth knowledge related to different spheres of life. By giving a wider perspective of the world.

Higher education is no longer a luxury, it is essential for survival. The core mission of higher education is to educate, to train, to undertake research and to provide service to the community. In the context of globalization, the scope and demand for higher education is increasing day by day and this demand can only be fulfilled by quality higher education. Improving the quality of higher education is the need of the hour.

Pakistan’s higher education is not ranked anywhere among the world higher education systems in terms of quality. The quality of higher education depends on various factors such as favorable environment for teaching and learning, infrastructure, teachers, curriculum, effective feedback, research opportunities and monitoring systems.

The problems plaguing the educational system of Pakistan are multidimensional. They include the population explosion, lack of resources, scarcity of qualified manpower, inconsistency in the policies of various regimes, political instability, inefficient educational management system, wastage of resources, poor quality of intake, managerial inefficiency, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate student services, inadequate material resources, non accountability of institutions, inefficiency in teaching, poor research and lack of research opportunities and poor implementation of policies and programs. The institutions have not only been multiplied, the student enrolments at colleges and universities have registered an exceptionally high rate of growth. The demands of higher education have thus increased by leaps and bounds. Despite quality control and consolidation, these problems will continue to grow constantly for a long time to come.

The major structural issues in higher education system of Pakistan are leading to poor governance of the educational institutions and questionable quality of education. Governance differences are present both in public and private sector universities. The private sector board portrays a more efficient system compared to the public sector board that lacks autonomy and is under strong political influence. In most of the private and public sector universities in Pakistan, the board of governors is a combination of alumni, donors, appointees, public figures, government nominees etc. It is very rare to find a member on the board being appointed because they possess knowledge of how universities need to perform, or they have outstanding academic contribution. Private sector universities in Pakistan have grown by a large number in the last two decades. However, at one end, the growth of such institutions provides more variety to students; there are some universities with questionable status.

Organizational structure issues are the main cause of inefficiency of higher education institutions. Institutional autonomy should be advanced in a context which seeks greater accountability from institutions and a more systematic approach to the structure of higher education institutions. The board of governors of universities seems unaware of these structural issues of universities. This leads to universities being unable to cope with the challenges. These challenges include the evolution of new markets and the creation of new professions and vocations.

Governance issues at structural, academic, and organizational level are hindrances in quality education. Universities remain so overly centralized that decision making remains distorted. There is a need for decentralization in terms of decision making.

Higher education system in Pakistan is far from developed. The issue of governance and the role of board of governors in both the public and the private sectors are critical and there is need for better management to ensure quality assurance. Higher education in Pakistan is not at par with international standards leaving a dearth of qualified graduates who can help with the rebuilding of the higher education institutions. On academic level there must be right balance between research and teaching, since research is essential for the development of faculty and the improvement of teaching. Unfortunately, in majority of the universities in Pakistan, emphasis is only placed on teaching leading to large class sizes and high teaching loads leaving no room for proper research.

Pakistan cannot progress until its higher education system is qualitatively strong enough because this poor quality is resulting in low employability, low performance of the specialized individuals, and lack of innovative and creative ideas. These are the key elements of success and progress in present time. All in all, there is a need to enlarge the adaptive capacity and quality of the higher education system so that it is more responsive to the changing world and meets the diversified needs of economy — both domestic and global. For this purpose, diversification of the Pakistani higher education system must be pursued as a goal. This can be achieved by having a proper mix of public and private, formal and non-formal institutions. Special initiatives are required to enhance employability. Curriculum and content must be continually renewed through authorities and skill development network may be set up. Collection of data on job market trends, its analysis and dissemination are important. Drawbacks mentioned above need to be transformed into the strength of the Pakistan higher education system, but this can only be done with strong willpower, determination and willingness to change. 

Planning of higher education in Pakistan:
Planning and Development (P&D) directorate of PHEC provides guidance on integrated planning and development processes to establish expectations for project scope, budget, and schedule to the PHEC and to participate in strategic policy matters of public sector universities of Punjab province.

Project inception and preliminary planning require thoughtful definition of goals and needs, master planning to accommodate anticipated future needs, funding requirements, budget cycles and/or financial impacts and project phasing. P&D directorate facilitate the Higher Education Institutions in this regard. The main objectives of all the activities are to establish and strengthen the higher education institutions, improving access to education and developing research facilities. The responsibilities of P&D includes;

• Coordination with other ministries & directorates
• Planning and designing of short and long term plans.
• Developing and writing projects.
• Assessment/Evaluation of PC-Is submitted by the Universities.
• Conduct feasibility study for establishment of new institution in Punjab.
• Preparation of draft ACT, PC-1s and other documents required for development of new institutions.

The role of P&D directorate is also to oversee the development projects funded through Annual Development Program (ADP), Government of Punjab for higher education at Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC), universities, and at Degree Awarding Institutions. The P&D directorate is also maintaining the key statistics of public HEIs in Punjab province.

P&D directorate is additionally engaged with establishment of new universities / HEIs in the Punjab province and for this purpose P&D directorate has also develop policy guidelines for establishment of new universities and sub-campuses of Universities / HEIs in the Punjab province.

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Q.3 critically discusses the role of different organization for development of higher education in Pakistan.

The functions of PHEC, defined per the Punjab Higher Education Commission Act 2014, are following:

1. Coordinate with Higher Education Commission in a result oriented manner
2. Formulate guidelines and recommend policies in line with national standards prepared by the Higher Education Commission under which public and private institutions may be opened and operated in the province
3. Prescribe guidelines and conditions under which institutions, other than universities and degree awarding institutions, may offer qualifications in the higher education sector
4. Cause monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the institutions and carry out accreditation of institutions including their sub-campuses, out posts, faculties, departments and disciplines through Accreditation Committee
5. Provide guidelines to ensure good governance and management of institutions to maintain bewildering standards of higher education in the Punjab
6. Assist and advise the Government in quality enhancement and quality assurance of colleges
7. Cause third party performance audit of higher education institutions and furnish a copy of results to the concerned body for corrective measures and follow ups
8. Cause ranking of the higher education institutions of the Punjab
9. Submit precise grant in aid requirements of the institutions to the Government
10. Allocate funds to public sector institutions out of bulk financial provision received from the Government and other sources for such purpose on performance and need basis
11. Advise Institutions in raising funds from sources other than the Government
12. Support in creating linkages between institutions and industry as well as national and international organizations that support research and development in the higher education
13. Facilitate the introduction of educational and training programs that meet the needs of the market and promote the study in every field of national and international importance in the institutions
14. Ensure imparting marketable education and skills in the institutions and promote self-employment through entrepreneurship and small & medium enterprises 
15. Advise institutions to ensure a proper balance between teaching and research
16. Undertake various faculty development programs for improving the quality of teaching and research in the institutions
17. Develop guidelines and facilitate the implementation of a system of quality assurance of institutions, based on the standards developed by the Higher Education Commission
18. Encourage, support and facilitate training programs, workshops and symposia at provincial and regional levels in public and private sector institutions 
19. Prepare, in consultation with the institutions, plans for the development of higher education
20. Promote formal links between institutions to make the most effective use of expertize and specialized equipment and promote provincial, national and international linkages with respect to knowledge sharing, collaborative research, personnel exchange and cost sharing
21. Take measures, including allocation of funds, for award of fellowships, scholarships, travel and research grants
22. Establish endowment funds for higher education with contributions from the Government as well as non-governmental national and international sources
23. Collect such information and statistics on higher education and institutions as it may deem fit
24. Set up various committees consisting of provincial, national and international experts to advise the Commission on its affairs
25. Advise the institutions on framing of subordinate legislation; and
26. Perform such other functions as may be prescribed or as may be incidental to the discharging of the above functions or as may be assigned to it by the Government
27. To resolve trust as well as support issues within the organization, i.e., to make sure there is an inherent level of trust among the members and that they support each other when needed.
28. To encourage employees to avoid procrastination of problems and find effective solutions, pronto.
29. To manage the regularly-arising conflicts at the workplace.
30. To employ new methods to improve the current operations of the firm.
31. To improve the satisfaction level among the employees, i.e., periodic appreciation, fair delegation of responsibility, etc.
32. To establish a camaraderie among the employees by helping them co-operate and collaborate better amongst themselves.
33. To increase the overall problem-solving capability of the organization for successful results.

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Q.4 Describe the provision of higher education in national policy 2009.

National Education Policy 2009
Islamabad, Aug 20: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2009 prepared by the federal government seeks transformation of society along the lines of Islamic teachings and revitalise existing education system to cater to social, political and spiritual needs of individuals and society.

The NEP has nine chapters and describes overarching challenges, articulates the ways of filling the commitment-implementation gap, puts forward the provisions of Islamic education and transformation of the society on Islamic and human values, outlines reforms and policy actions to be taken at the sub-sector level, and broadly suggests a framework for implementation of the policy.

According to the policy's draft, teaching Islamiyat to Muslim students is meant to provide them with opportunities to learn understand and apply the fundamental principles of Islam in their lives. This, it says, will reform and develop society on the principles of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. The policy declares Islamic education as duty of the society and the state. It says ideology of Islam forms the genesis of the State of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its fundamental principles were defined in the Objectives Resolution, 1949, which part of the Constitution.

Titled as Islamic Education, the NEP's Chapter Four gives out the vision for teaching Islamic Studies. It says as provided in the Constitution, all steps will be taken to enable Muslims of Pakistan, individually and collectively, to order their lives in accordance with the fundamental principles and basic concepts of Islam, and to provide facilities whereby they may be enabled to understand the meaning of life according to the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

According to the NEP, Islamiyat will be taught as a compulsory subject from Grade-I to Grade-XII, extending up to graduation level in all general and professional institutions, and advanced Islamic Studies will be offered as an elective subject at grades IX-X and XI-XII. The policy divides the Islamiyat curriculum into five main parts – Al-Quran Al Kareem; Imaniyaat and Ibaadat; Seerat-e-Tayyiba; Ethics and Good Behaviour, and Prominent Personalities of Islam. The first part includes the reading of the Holy Quran (Nazira), the memorising selected small Suras of the Holy Quran (Hifz), the memorisation and translation of selected small Suras and the Quranic supplications, and selected Hadith.

According to it, the Islamic teachings will be made part of teacher training curricula and the curricula of other training institutions. It says Arabic teachers, preferably having the qualification as Qaris, will be appointed to such institutions. The policy promises to ensure that textual and other learning materials don't contain anything repugnant to Islamic injunctions and controversial material against any sect or religious or ethnic minorities.

The policy recommends teaching Ethics and Moral Education instead of Islamiyat to non-Muslim children, and appointment of subject specific teachers for the purpose.

DOVETAILING GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

Recently many new initiatives have been taken by the government aiming at providing missing facilities. Traditional approach of improving infrastructure and providing brick and mortar is no doubt necessary, but not sufficient for quality education delivery and sustainable economic development in the existing burgeoning global competitive milieu. Some initiatives also focus/target on improving teaching quality and learning environment, building capacity of education managers and administrators, etc. Apart from the Ministry of Education, many other initiatives have been launched in the recent past by different Ministries, organizations and departments like National Commission for Human.

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Q.5 Elaborate the need and scope of research in higher education what steps can be taken to promote research culture in Pakistan.

Scope Research in Higher Education is directed to those concerned with the functioning of the post-secondary education, including two-year and four-year colleges, universities, and graduate and professional schools. It is of primary interest to institutional researchers and planners, faculty, college and university administrators, student personnel specialists and behavioral scientists. Generally, empirical studies are sought which contribute to an increased understanding of an institution or allow comparison between institutions, which aid faculty and administrators in making more informed decisions about current or future operations, and which improve the efficiency or effectiveness of the institution.

Increasing graduation rates and levels of educational attainment will accomplish little if students do not learn something of lasting value. Yet federal efforts over the last several years have focused much more on increasing the number of Americans who go to college than on improving the education they receive once they get there.

By concentrating so heavily on graduation rates and attainment levels, policy makers are ignoring danger signs that the amount that students learn in college may have declined over the past few decades and could well continue to do so in the years to come. The reasons for concern include:

• College students today seem to be spending much less time on their course work than their predecessors did 50 years ago, and evidence of their abilities suggests that they are probably learning less than students once did and quite possibly less than their counterparts in many other advanced industrial countries.
• Employers complain that many graduates they hire are deficient in basic skills such as writing, problem solving and critical thinking that college leaders and their faculties consistently rank among the most important goals of an undergraduate education.
• Most of the millions of additional students needed to increase educational attainment levels will come to campus poorly prepared for college work, creating a danger that higher graduation rates will be achievable only by lowering academic standards.
• More than two-thirds of college instructors today are not on the tenure track but are lecturers serving on year-to-year contracts. Many of them are hired without undergoing the vetting commonly used in appointing tenure-track professors. Studies indicate that extensive use of such instructors may contribute to higher dropout rates and to grade inflation.
• States have made substantial cuts in support per student over the past 30 years for public colleges and community colleges. Research suggests that failing to increase appropriations to keep pace with enrollment growth tends to reduce learning and even lower graduation rates. While some college leaders are making serious efforts to improve the quality of teaching, many others seem content with their existing programs. Although they recognize the existence of problems affecting higher education as a whole, such as grade inflation or a decline in the rigor of academic standards, few seem to believe that these difficulties exist on their own campus, or they tend to attribute most of the difficulty to the poor preparation of students before they enroll.

Seven things that could help you promote good research integrity, and contribute to
improving research culture:
1. Small steps can make a big difference
Facilitating open discussions can help foster a more collaborative environment, by giving researchers the chance to share their experiences of not only their successes, but also their “failures”. This helps to build respect and trust within the research team, by talking openly and giving support when things don’t always go right. The Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, based at the University of Bristol, have a range of different communication channels to support their work, with one focused specifically on “triumph and disaster”, which dispels the assumption that senior academics have had continuous successes to get to their esteemed positions.

2. Establishing support systems can boost morale and enhance a positive research
Providing and promoting career counselling, coaching and support services available to staff may help to reduce pressures within a research environment, which is imperative to staff well-being. This can help in limiting stress and time pressures, and connect researchers to other resources available at their institution, such as forms for deadline extensions, assistance programmes, career services and mental health and well-being services. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center provides a career-counselling service solely to their scientists, providing the opportunity to discuss their career paths and the steps they need to take to progress.

3. Ensure everyone is on the same page
Research teams could openly discuss, amend and build on existing guidelines, to develop a consensus on their collective and individual behaviours and attitudes. This could be used to develop a group standard or pledge, ensuring all team members are aware of what is expected in the research environment. This helps to enhance a positive culture by refining standards and “norms”. The Barcelona Biomedical Research Park developed a code of good scientific practice, which sets out the expectations of individuals and the collective research team.

4. Research culture “cafes” are an excellent way to share best practice
Encourage researchers and support staff to find time and space to meet to share ideas and experiences. By involving other departments, institutions and sectors, discussions can focus on improving research integrity and culture, to share best practice on what has worked, what hasn’t and its impact. The Barcelona Biomedical Research Park is one example of where this has been put into practice.

5. Organization, department and team leaders leading by example in promoting an excellent research culture 
Often seen as “role models” to their early-career peers, organization, department and team leaders who are at the forefront of promoting a positive research culture – such as by taking part in training, encouraging discussions to address difficult questions in an open and honest way and by having an open door policy – set a “norm” and redefine standards. Participants at the Royal Society’s research culture workshops gave examples of leaders initiating small but impactful ways to set culture and improve morale in the workplace. An example of this is setting regular hours, to tackle the perception that only academics working extensive hours are successful.

6. Discuss training gaps for all team members
Career progression is a key factor in retention and enhances not only the quality of research for the institution, but for the research community as a whole. Researchers can feel more valued if skills needs are reviewed individually and as a group, ensuring they all possess the necessary skills for their role, such as statistics, data-handling, proposal-writing and resource management. And following on from this, identifying gaps and offering courses for development. Software Carpentry developed such an initiative, by running training workshops at the University of Florida, to increase the data literacy of university staff.

7. Embed research culture at an institutional level
Highlight the importance of research culture and engage all staff across the organization by hosting a research culture and integrity day. Presentations, workshops and panel discussions could be given from across the organization. Different departments could showcase the ways they have improved research culture and integrity, as well as addressing areas where there is still room for improvement. The University of Nevada organised an “Ignite Integrity week”where all staff were encourage to participate in activities to discuss good practice.

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