Karachi's higher education in peril: Coalition demands reforms
IV Report
KARACHI: A coalition of teachers, students, rights activists, and civil society members has vowed to launch a coordinated movement to address the crisis plaguing Karachi's higher education institutions.
At a press conference on September 19, leaders expressed concern
over “universities' serious administrative and academic crises”, citing chronic
delays in salary payments, widespread administrative breakdowns, and protests
within the University of Karachi and Federal Urdu University for Science and
Technology.
According to them, the universities were witnessing eroding
academic quality, inadequate infrastructure, and politicised appointments.
The group, backed by the Concerned Citizens Alliance (CCA) and
Pakistan Medical Association, demanded immediate action, including: Halting
victimisation of teachers and employees; restoring students' unions; timely
salary payments and pension disbursements; improved medical services; fair remunerations
for visiting teachers; increased research financing.
Speakers, including Dr Riaz Ahmed, Dr Munawar Rasheed from KU, Dr Asghar Dashti and Dr Iqbal Naqvi from FUUAST, M Khizr from HRCP, and Azhar Jameel and Tehseen Fatima Ahmed from CCA, emphasised the need for awareness and collective action to prevent further decline.
"We cannot leave our universities unattended and ruined due
to government failures," they urged.
The speakers noted further that most public sector universities in
Karachi and Sindh have leaderships that cannot think or act beyond the pleasure
of their controlling bosses.
“It were the vice-chancellors and the other bigwigs there who
should have assessed the gravity of poor financial position and politically
motivated moves affecting the basic rights of students and teachers first, and
then should have pressed the governments and higher education commissions to
arrange continued financing to the universities.”
The movement seeks to create awareness among stakeholders, leading to concrete actions to address the crisis.
The speakers noted further that most public sector universities in
Karachi and Sindh have leaderships that cannot think or act beyond the pleasure
of their controlling bosses.
“It were the vice-chancellors and the other bigwigs there who
should have assessed the gravity of poor financial position and politically
motivated moves affecting the basic rights of students and teachers first, and
then should have pressed the governments and higher education commissions to
arrange continued financing to the universities.”
The movement seeks to create awareness among stakeholders, leading
to concrete actions to address the crisis.
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