Educated middle class must for democracy, says HEC chief

Hyderabad, Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairman Dr. Javed R. Leghari has said that a viable and highly educated middle class up to 50 per cent of the population is essential for a better democratic system and governance.

At present, he said, Pakistan’s viable middle class was just 12 per cent while India had increased to 30 per cent.

Addressing a launching ceremony for a book titled “Password to prosperity” authored by a hotel owner, Dr Raees Musthaq, here Mr Leghari said that only one million people, just five per cent of the 17-23 years age group, had access to higher education, which indicated that 24 million people did not have access to higher education.

He said that those who had received higher education were fortunate because it was the lowest rate in South Asian region and even among Muslim countries.

“We have to do a lot of catching up in higher education. We have to increase this one million to two million over next five years and to four million over the next 10 years,” he said.

He said that experiment of compulsory primary education in Sri Lanka did not prove beneficial for the country’s economy because even with 90 per cent literacy rate Sri Lanka failed to make significant progress.

“It is only when we create a knowledge capital, knowledge equity and knowledge workers and that takes place at university level where you create a viable middle class,” he remarked.

He said that currently Pakistan was going through a severe economic crunch because of war on terror and last summer’s floods and expressed the hope once the situation improved the HEC would make efforts to establish a university in every district. If it was not possible then a campus at least would be set up in every district, he added.

The book author said in his address that the country had failed to introduce law reforms and create small administrative units with the results that problems kept multiplying with no solution in sight.

Chancellor of Isra University Dr. Asadullah Kazi, Justice (rtd) Mukhtar Junejo, Abdul Hameed Sindhi and Ilyas Shakir, secretary of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors also spoke on the occasion. NO NEW PROJECTS:

Later, the HEC chairman told journalists that the government did not approve new projects proposed by the HEC and only ongoing projects would be completed.

He said that when economic conditions improved new projects would be undertaken. PCs-I submitted for different projects were not approved by the government. “We will not receive funds for any new project from the government,” he said.

He said that increase in enrolment at university level was 15 to 20 per cent and in addition to 15 per cent inflation rate HEC needed 33 to 35 per cent increase in funds per annum to keep enrolment growth steady.

He said that no foreign scholarships would be awarded during current year but the HEC had approached the president, prime minister and finance minister to allow at least those 600 scholars who had been stopped from going abroad for scholarships.

Dr. Leghari said that quota of seats for Hyderabad in higher seats of learning should be increased. The present government’s manifesto revolved round education and no government could neglect this sector, he said and called for financial assistance like interest free loans for needy students.