Pakistan’s Education Spending Below 2% of GDP
The Senate Functional Committee on Devolution received concerning data: Pakistan’s education spending stands at only 1.77% of the GDP, falling far short of the targeted 5% for education and 1% for research as per the manifesto.
Under the leadership of Chairman Mushtaq Ahmed, the committee convened to discuss vital matters regarding the transfer of powers to Provincial Governments, particularly focusing on the education sector. Chairman Ahmed emphasized redirecting state resources towards youth engagement to secure Pakistan’s future, highlighting the need to prioritize this over counter-terrorism investments, emphasizing education and employment as counter-terrorism measures.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman provided a detailed overview of transferring powers to provinces, specifically addressing the appointment and transfer of vice-chancellors of universities under the 18th Amendment. The committee discovered that 42 universities operate with acting vice-chancellors. Islamabad’s appointment procedures involve a search committee appointed by the President, while provincially chartered Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) fall under their respective provinces’ Higher Education Departments.
HEC officials expressed concerns about educational access for the underprivileged due to institutional privatization. The committee Chairman lamented increasing university recruitment alongside declining education quality, noting limited job prospects from university courses. Senator Taj Haider highlighted the education GDP allocation gap, emphasizing the shortfall from manifesto targets.
Critically, the committee criticized the government’s view of education spending as a loss, drawing attention to substantial payments to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) compared to the Higher Education Commission’s budget. Additionally, a sub-committee will investigate federally owned sports facilities in provinces.