LAHORE/TOBA TEK SINGH: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Educational Employees Affiliation (FAPUASA) on Tuesday introduced to watch a black day on Might 30 (Thursday) in any respect universities of the nation in protest in opposition to the large minimize within the funds of the federal Increased Training Fee (HEC).
The federal authorities has issued a notification to cut back the funds of the HEC for the monetary yr 2024-25 from Rs65bn to Rs 25bn and it has been restricted to solely federal space universities although earlier it used to incorporate provincial universities in its funds.
Earlier, the HEC had sought Rs126bn for greater than 160 public universities within the nation.
The FAPUASA govt council’s emergent assembly was held on Tuesday chaired by its President Dr Amjad Abbas Magsi whereas Basic Secretary Dr Muhammad Uzair moderated the proceedings.
The assembly was known as to debate the current notification of the federal authorities the place it had refused to allocate funds for the schools within the provinces. The individuals took inventory of the severity of the choice and rejected it unanimously on account of its devastating results on the upper schooling sector, which is already struggling rather a lot as a result of apathy of the federal government.
Centre reduces HEC funds from Rs65bn to Rs25bn; VCs worry the transfer to power varsities to close down
The council unanimously determined to watch a black day on Might 30 (Thursday) in all universities of the nation to document a protest in opposition to the choice of the federal authorities.
The tutorial employees associations (ASAs) of all the schools had been directed to carry conferences and produce all of the stakeholders alongside to boost the frequent voice. The federation additionally determined to carry a sit-in in Islamabad subsequent week for the official rights of the schools.
Being the consultant of the educational neighborhood throughout all universities in Pakistan, FAPUASA President Mr Magsi and Basic Secretary Uzair vehemently condemned the federal authorities’s unilateral choice to take away the provincial universities from its funds.
They stated that the choice was not solely detrimental but in addition past the constitutional authority of the federal authorities. Any choice relating to the funds of the HEC have to be positioned earlier than the Council of Frequent Pursuits (CCI) assembly, as mandated by the structure.
They stated the problem of the upper schooling funds was extraordinarily essential which affected your complete nation and the federal government should allocate funds in accordance with the provincial shares earlier than making any cuts to the HEC funds. They stated that the federal authorities’s choice to chop the HEC funds would result in the destruction of universities throughout provinces, a lot of which had been already dealing with extreme monetary challenges.
The federation representatives stated that the federation, together with its provincial chapters, repeatedly raised its voice by the press, video messages and letters to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and likewise organised protests however the authorities confirmed lack of seriousness in addressing the circumstances of the schools. They stated that greater schooling was enjoying a pivotal function within the financial growth of a rustic and undermining the sector would have long-term detrimental results on the nation’s progress and prosperity.
The FAPUASA demanded the federal government instantly withdraw its choice relating to the minimize within the HEC funds.
Furthermore, the manager council of the federation urged the federal government to extend the upper schooling funds by as much as Rs500bn within the upcoming federal funds.
The council stated failure to reverse the choice would outcome within the closure of universities nationwide as most establishments can be unable to pay salaries and pensions.
The council stated the federal authorities’s funds cuts for universities would create a major problem, particularly for provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan as each these provinces didn’t set up their provincial greater schooling commissions (HECs).
It stated these provinces lacked localised governance and strategic oversight essential to mitigate the influence of decreased funding with out the provincial HECs. The council stated these establishments may want to boost their efforts in securing analysis grants and donations whereas additionally advocating for interim assist from the federal HEC to make sure continuation of instructional requirements and growth tasks.
The FAPUASA council hoped that the federal government would reverse the antagonistic choice and make sure that all constitutional formalities had been fulfilled earlier than making any choices affecting the funds of universities. The council stated the way forward for the upper schooling system and the nation would rely on it.
In the meantime, the Vice Chancellors Committee has additionally requested the federal authorities to proceed extending assist to the schools throughout the nation as head of the federation, urging the provincial governments to make their contribution to their respective budgets for the schools.
The VCs Committee held an emergency on-line assembly within the wake of the experiences of a significant minimize to the HEC funding for the Fiscal 12 months 2024-25 funds.
A press launch stated on Tuesday that chaired by UAF VC Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan, additionally chairman of VCs committee, the discussion board was attended by the VCs and rectors of all the general public sector universities. The schools’ heads emphasised that the federal government should pay due significance to greater schooling sector in its efforts by ‘Education Emergency’ within the nation.
They stated the federal government’s plan to chop the HEC’s recurring funds to Rs25bn for 2024-25 in opposition to Rs65bn within the earlier monetary yr would jeopardise the way forward for college students as the schools had been already struggling a shortfall of Rs60bn.
In his remarks, Dr Iqrar stated the report of presidency’s plans to chop the HEC funds for the 12 months 2024-25 had despatched shockwaves all through the educational neighborhood as any such transfer would power the general public sector universities to close down. He expressed his apprehension that the already financially strapped universities wouldn’t have the ability to survive and the way forward for Pakistani youth can be jeopardised if the federal authorities stopped giving required funds.
Expressing their views, the VCs of various universities stated the provincial governments ought to make a contribution to the schools’ funds; nevertheless, the federal authorities should proceed extending monetary assist to universities within the provinces for the reason for nationwide growth, integration and unity. They termed sufficient budgetary allocation to greater schooling a matter of nationwide curiosity, expressing fears that any minimize within the HEC funds would put the scholars’ future at risk.
Appreciating the HEC’s function within the growth of upper schooling sector throughout the nation, they stated any minimize to the HEC funds was tantamount to creating it dysfunctional. They stated it was unattainable to manage and function universities with out funds, including that the schools’ survival lay within the authorities’s assist to the HEC.
HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed and HEC Govt Director Dr Ziaul Qayyum stated the fee would take up the problem with the finance ministry and request for reconsideration of the matter with a sympathetic view.
They asserted that any minimize to the HEC funds would put all of the investments made within the greater schooling sector within the final over 20 years in jeopardy. The federal and provincial governments should collectively put their contributions to finish the crises dealing with the schools, they emphasised.
They stated the federal authorities’s funding for the upper schooling sector was a should to strengthen its efforts for nationwide integration by youth.
Printed in Daybreak, Might twenty ninth, 2024