A country can ignore the importance of higher education only at its peril. The government of Pakistan has therefore set up the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan in 2002 in order to revamp the higher education system in Pakistan. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has been entrusted the job of facilitating the development of the quality of education of Universities and Colleges in Pakistan so that the youth of the country can become agents of bringing about socio economic changes in the country.
The commission would be primarily responsible for evaluating, promoting and improving the higher education sector in Pakistan.
Higher Education in Pakistan would mean education pursued after completing the intermediate level, that is the 12th standard. The Education Census of Pakistan, 2005 has reported that there are 1,882 colleges in the country out of which 1025 are in the public sector and 857 are in the private sector. According to the report there are 114 Universities in Pakistan. It includes 49 general Universities, other technical/ professional Universities of both public and private sector. But the proportion of enrollment in institutes of higher education in Pakistan is far from being satisfactory. 3.5 percent of the total enrolled students go to a degree college, while the percentage for general universities is 0.6 and for professional institutes it is 1.08. However the Deeni Madaris continue to attract a large section of population. According to the census 1.55 million children were found to be enrolled in Deeni Madaris.
In order to increase the enrollment and raise the levels of institutes of higher education in Pakistan to the world-class centers of education, research and development, the Pakistan Higher Education Commission is taking adequate measures. It has identified access, quality and relevance as the primary challenges faced by the higher education sector in Pakistan. Moreover making the formal and non-formal institutes co-operate would be necessary in order to make Pakistan a formidable force in the global economy.
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