INSTITUTION TYPES Types of higher education institutions: University College Institute Higher education credentials: Secondary School Certificate

Intermediate Certificate Bachelor Degree (Pass) Bachelor's Degree (Honors) Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree Master of Philosophy Doctor's Degree Doctor of Literature, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Law STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM Pre-higher education: Duration of compulsory education: Age of entry: 5 Age of exit: 15 Structure of school system: Primary Type of school providing this education: Primary School Length of program in years: 5 Age level from: 5 to: 10

Middle Type of school providing this education: Middle School Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 10 to: 13 Secondary Type of school providing this education: Secondary School Length of program in years: 2 Age level from: 13 to: 15 Certificate/diploma awarded: Secondary School Certificate or Matriculation Technical Secondary Type of school providing this education: Technical Secondary School Length of program in years: 2 Age level from: 15 to: 17 Certificate/diploma awarded: Secondary School Certificate (in Technical Subjects) Higher Secondary Type of school providing this education: Intermediate Colleges Length of program in years: 2 Age level from: 15 to: 17 Certificate/diploma awarded: Intermediate Certificate Or Higher Secondary School Certificate Secondary Education: Secondary education is divided into three cycles: three years' middle school, two years' secondary and two years' higher secondary. On completion of the second cycle, pupils take the Secondary School Certificate or Matriculation Examination. Pupils may then study for a further two years, specializing in Science or Arts. At the end of this period, pupils take the examinations for the Intermediate Certificate or Higher Secondary School Certificate. Vocational secondary schools offer courses leading to the Secondary School Certificate in technical subjects.

Higher Education: Higher education is provided by universities and professional universities and their constituent colleges and in colleges affiliated to universities. Universities are autonomous organizations founded by the central or provincial parliament. The senate, the syndicate and the academic council are the main university bodies responsible for matters concerning studies. The University Grants Commission serves as a clearinghouse for development schemes of the universities; provides support to centres of excellence, area study centres and Pakistan study centres; supports research fellowships and research programmes; and organizes pre-service and in-service training of university teachers. Pakistan's first university for women, Fatima Jinnah Women's University, has opened in Rawalpindi. It offers degree programmes in Business Administration, Computer Science, Economics, English, Fine Arts and Islamic Studies. Main laws/decrees Governing Higher Education: Decree: National Education Policy Year: 1992 Academic year: Classes from: Sep to: Jun Long vacation from: Jul to: Aug Languages of instruction: English, Urdu Stages of studies: Non-university level post-secondary studies (technical/vocational type): Non-university level: Polytechnics, technical and commercial institutes offer courses at Post-Secondary School Certificate level. They provide courses lasting between one and three years that lead to Certificates and Diplomas. University level studies: University level first stage: Bachelor's Degree: Bachelor's Pass Degrees are normally obtained after a two-year course and Honours

Degrees after a three year course in Arts, Science and Commerce. First degrees in Engineering take four years and in Medicine five years. New universities have also introduced a three-year Bachelor Degree course. University level second stage: Master's Degree, BEd, LLB: A Master's Degree requires two years' study after a Pass Degree and one year after an Honours Degree. The BEd requires one year's study beyond a Bachelor's Degree in Arts or Science. The LLB is a postgraduate qualification and entry to the three-year course is by the Bachelor's Degree in any other subject. University level third stage: MPhil, PhD: The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) takes two years after the Master's Degree. The PhD (Doctorate of Philosophy) is a research degree which requires three years' study beyond the Master's Degree. University level fourth stage: Higher Doctorate: The degrees of Doctor of Literature (DLitt), Doctor of Science (DSc) and Doctor of Law (LLD) are awarded after five to seven years of study.

Formal System of Education in Pakistan. In formal education system, there are a number of stages, which are illustrated in the diagram in Annexure-I as described briefly below: Pre Primary Schooling: Pre-primary education is functional and managed in schools through out country. Public schools provide pre-primary education as part of socialization process. The students attending pre-primary class are called Kachi. National Education EFA Action Plan Policy, 1998-2010 provided recognition to Kachi class as proxy for

early childhood education. According to National Education Policy, 1998-2010, the Kachi class will be introduced as formal class in the primary schools. The age group for pre-primary is <3>5. Primary Schooling: This stage consists of five classes I-V and enrolls children of age 5-9 years. Since independence, the policy makers pronounced to make primary education free and compulsory. According to Pakistan Integrated Household Survey (PIHS) 1998-99, the gross participation rate was 71 percent in 1999, for male it was 80 percent and for female it was 61 percent. For urban female it was 92 and for rural it was 50 percent. The lowest participation rate observed for rural female in Sindh Province that was 33 percent. The net enrolment rate was 42 percent, for urban male it was 47 percent and 37 percent for rural female. Middle Schooling: The middle schooling is of three years duration and comprised of class VI, VII and VIII. The age group is 10-12 years. The participation rate at middle school was about 34 percent during 2000-2001. Males were 36 percent and females were 33 percent.

High Schooling: The high school children stay for two years in classes IX and X. The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education conducts the examination. A certificate of secondary school is awarded to the successful candidates. The participation rate at high school was about 22 percent in 2000-2001 of which, 24 percent were males and 20 percent were females. Vocational Education is normally offered in high schooling. There are varieties of trades offered to the students and after completion of the course they get

jobs as carpenters, masons, mechanics, welders, electrician, refrigeration and similar other trades. There are 498 vocational institutions with an enrolment of about 88 thousand in 2001-2002. Higher Secondary Education: The higher secondary stage is also called the intermediate stage and is considered a part of college education. Higher Secondary Education consists of classes XI to XII. During two years stay in this cycle of education, a student at the age of 16 years in this stage can opt for general education, professional education or technical education. The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) conducts the examination and awards a Certificate of Higher Secondary School Education (HSSC). According to 1979 Education Policy, all schools were to be upgraded to higher Secondary Schools. Middle sections of high schools were to be linked with primary schools (designating elementary education). This system has limited success and some problems were experienced. Keeping in view the problems this system is being introduced gradually. Higher Education: To obtain a degree, 4 years of higher education after 10 years of primary and secondary schooling is required. Students who pass their first-degree stage are awarded a Bachelors degree in arts or science, typically at the age of 19 years. In order to complete an honors course at Bachelors degree level an additional one years study is required. Further, a two years course is required for Masters degree who have completed two years Bachelors degree. A doctoral degree requires normally 3 years of study after the completion of a masters degree course. Professional and Technical Education: The duration of post secondary education varies in technical and professional fields. The polytechnic diploma is a three-year course. A bachelors degree in medicine (MBBS)

requires 5 years of study after intermediate stage (12 years of schooling). Similarly, a bachelors degree course both in engineering and veterinary medicine is of 4 years duration after the intermediate examination. Madrassah Education: Side by side with modern education system there is also religious education system, which provides Islamic education. These institutions have their own management system without interference from either the provincial or federal governments. However, grantsin-aid are provided to these institutions by the government. During 2000 there were 6761 religious institutions with an enrollment of 934,000, of which 132,000 were female students in 448 institutions (Khan, 2002). Efforts have been made by the present government to bring the Madrassah in the mainstream under Education Sector Reforms. The main purpose of mainstreaming Madrassah is to enlarge employment opportunities for their graduates. Pakistan Madrassah Education Boards are established to regulate the Madaris activities.

Non-formal Education: There are millions of people in Pakistan who have no access to formal education system. It is not possible for the formal system to meet educational needs of the rapidly growing population. Non-formal Basic Education School scheme has been introduced for those who have no access to formal education. This scheme is very cost-effective. Under this scheme primary education course is taught in forty months. Non-formal schools are opened in those areas where formal schools are not available. Government provides teachers salary and teaching material whereas community provides school building/room. There are 6371 NFBE schools functioning in the country. Examinations: Examinations are usually held annually, which are the main criterion to promote the

students to higher classes or to retain them in the same class. However, recently a system of automatic promotion up-to grade-III has been introduced in some schools. In the primary classes, examinations are conducted by the respective schools. However, at the end of the fifth year of the primary stage a public examination is held by the education department for promotion to the next grade. Another examination is held for the outstanding students to compete for the award of merit scholarships. Similarly, the examination in Middle Schools are held by the individual schools but there is a public examination at the end of grade VIII conducted by the Education Department for awarding of scholarships. The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) conducts the examinations of Secondary and Higher Secondary. The degree level examinations are conducted by the respective universities. Teachers Training: In Pakistan, there are 90 Colleges of Elementary Education which offer teachers training programs for Primary Teaching Certificate (PTC) and Certificate in Teaching (CT) to primary school teachers. For secondary school teachers, there are 16 Colleges of Education, offering graduate degrees in education and there are departments of education in 9 universities which train teachers at the masters level. There are only 4 institutions which offer in-service teachers training. Besides these, the Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, offers a very comprehensive teachers training program based on distance learning; its total enrolment is about 10,000 per annum of which 7,000 complete various courses every year Private Education Sector: Private sector involvement in education is encouraging. The Federal Bureau of Statistics survey (1999-2000) indicates that there are 36,096 private educational institutions in Pakistan. About 61 percent of the institutions are in urban areas and 39 percent in rural areas. The percentage share of private sector in enrollment is 18 percent at primary school level, 16 percent at middle school level and 14 percent at high school level.

It has been observed that most of the private schools select their own curricula and textbooks, which are not in conformity with public schools. Majority of the schools are English Medium which attracts the parents for sending their children to these schools. Most of the schools are overcrowded and do not have adequate physical facilities. These schools are usually charging high fees from the students. Most of the schools are unregistered; therefore, in most cases the certificates issued by these institutions are not recognized by public schools. Majority of these institutions are functioning in the rented buildings. The National Education Policy 1998-2010 proposed that there shall be regulatory bodies at the national and provincial levels to regulate activities and smooth functioning of privately managed schools and institutions of higher education through proper rules and regulations. A reasonable tax rebate shall be granted on the expenditure incurred on the setting up of educational facilities by the private sector. Grants-in-Aid for specific purposes shall be provided to private institutions. Setting up of private technical institutions shall be encouraged. Matching grants shall be provided for establishing educational institutions by the private sector in the rural areas or poor urban areas through Education Foundation. In rural areas, schools shall be established through public-private partnership schemes. The government shall not only provide free land to build the school but also bear a reasonable proportion of the cost of construction and management. Liberal loan facilities shall be extended to private educational institutions by financial institutions. Despite all shortcomings of private education mentioned above, PIHS survey indicates that enrolment rates in public schools have declined since 1995-96 particularly a large decline has been observed in rural areas. It is generally perceived by parents that quality of education in private schools are better than the public schools, therefore, those parents who can afford prefer to send their children to private schools. These trends indicate that the public education system is unable to meet public demand for providing quality education in the country.

Administrative and Supervisory Structure and Operation According to the Constitution of Pakistan (1973), the Federal Government is entrusted the responsibility for policy, planning, and promotion of educational facilities in the federating units. This responsibility is in addition to the overall policymaking, coordinating and advisory authority; otherwise, education is the provincial subject. The Federal Ministry of Education administers the educational institutions located in the federal capital territory. Universities located in various provinces are administered by the provincial governments, but are exclusively funded by the federal government through the Higher Education Commission. The Federal Ministry of Education is headed by the Minister of Education. The most senior civil servant in the Ministry is the Education Secretary assisted by Joint Secretary and Joint Educational Advisors of each wing. There are 6 wings in the Federal Ministry of Education and each wing is headed by Joint Educational Advisor The provincial Education Departments are headed by their respective Provincial Education Ministers. The civil servant in charge of the department is the Provincial Education Secretary. The provinces are further divided into districts for the purpose of administration. The head of the Education Department in a district is Executive District Officer (EDO). Literacy Department functions separately in case of Punjab and Sindh only it is headed by Executive District Officer (EDO) literacy. In the Provinces of NWFP and Balochistan, literacy is the part of Education Department. The hierarchy then runs down to the District Education Officer, Sub-district Education Officer, Supervisors or Assistant Sub-district Education Officers . At the grass root level (the union council level), Learning Coordinators (LCs) provide academic guidance as well as supervise the schools. The administrative structure has been decentralized under the Devolution Plan. Village Education Committees (VECs)/ School Management Committees (SMCs) have been set up in the provinces at grass root

level. Present Scenario of Education in Pakistan The government of Pakistan recognized that education is the basic right of every citizen; therefore, access to education for every citizen is crucial for economic development and for poverty alleviation. The present government has given much importance to education sector it has not only emphasized raising the present literacy rate but also emphasized improving the quality of education. The over all estimated literacy rate was 50.5 percent, for male 63 percent and for female 38 percent during 2001-2002. Urban literacy rate was 70 percent and rural literacy rate is 30 percent during the same period. Pakistan net primary enrolment rate was 66 percent (male 82 percent, female 50 percent) and gross enrolment rate was 78 percent (male 91 percent, female 64 percent) during 2000-01. About 45 percent children who enrolled in grade-1 drop out before completing primary education cycle (male drop out 45 percent, female drop out 54 percent). There are about 4 million children of 5-9 age group who are left out of school. The left out includes those children who never enrolled and those who drop out. Enrolment at primary level was 16.63 million during 2000-01. The gross enrolment at middle level was 34 percent, male 36 percent and female 33 percent in 2000-01. The gross enrolment at secondary level was 22 percent, 20 percent for female and 24 percent for male. The total number of Arts and Science colleges were 916 (male 536 and female 380) with the enrolment of 763,000 during 2000-01. There are 68 universities in Pakistan with the enrolment of 1.1 million. Out of the total universities, 40 universities are managed by public sector. There are 203,439 educational institutions in Pakistan of which 36,096 institutions are run private sector and the share of the private sector is about 18 percent. The major issues and challenges of the education system include low literacy rate, high drop out rate, wide spread teacher absenteeism, weak management and supervision structure, shortage of trained and qualified teachers specially female, lack of teachers

dedication, motivation and interest in their profession and lack of physical facilities. Moreover the curriculum is mostly outdated, irrelevant and does not fulfill the requirements of present day. Education For All (EFA): Education For All refers to the global commitment to ensure that by 2015 all children would complete primary education of good quality (Universal Primary Completion), and that gender disparity would be eliminated in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 and no later than 2015. This commitment was made at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal in April 2000 and reaffirmed in the Millennium declaration in New York in September 2000. The Government of Pakistan is attaching top priority to EFA. The country has ten year Perspective Development Plan (2001-11) to visualize the long term macro-economic and sectoral growth strategies, Poverty Reduction and Human Development is the priority area of the Plan. Sector-wide development approach covering all the sectors of education has been adopted under the Perspective Plan. In order to address the EFA implications linkage plan focusing on development of other sectors of Education has also been prepared. Nearly 80% of the ESR covers different goals of Education for All by 2015, reducing illiteracy by 50 percent with a focus on reducing the gender gap by 2015, life skills and learning opportunities for youth and adults; and early childhood education. The targeted groups for EFA goals belong to disadvantaged communities with minimal opportunities. These groups are highly vulnerable, without access to learning facilities, or public sector facilities, which are functioning at sub-optimal levels.

.CENTRAL ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN PAKISTAN EDUCATION SYSTEM AND THEIR NEEDED REFORMS: The existing education delivery system is not meeting the needs and aspirations of the

society as such particularly, it is a challenge to the provinces and districts for the 21st century. Moreover, prior to devolution, the policy and planning have been undertaken by the central and provincial governments without taking into account the ground realities and without the participation of community. The main objectives of the devolution plan is to empower the community at the grassroots level in planning, management, resource mobilization and utilization, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the education system to improve the service delivery at that level. The main inherent issues of education systems are: teachers absenteeism, high drop out rates particularly at primary level, high repetition rates, low completion rates, inequalities by gender, location and social groups, low literacy rate and unsatisfactory performance of schools, these issues have been addressed under DOP through empowerment of local communities. The present government has initiated political and administrative devolution under its reforms agenda under Local Government Plan 2000. The Local Government Ordinance was promulgated on 14th August 2001. Under devolution, political power, decisionmaking authority, and administrative responsibilities have been moved as closes as possible to the village, union council, tehsil and district levels, with only the major policy-making, coordination, and special service functions being retained with the central and provincial governments. The main purpose of the devolution is to improve the service delivery at the grass root level in various sectors. It is believed that highly centralized system of education is greatly hampering the efficiency and effectiveness of delivery service at the grass-root level. Successive governments addressed this problem in their policies and plans since 1947. The present government has envisioned with a clear commitment to reform a number of aspects of education system framed within the 1998-2010 National Education Policy and ten year perspective development plan 2001-2011 to increase educational opportunities for all children, to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of delivery service at grass root level. ESR is an Action Plan for 2001-2005, has been fully integrated into the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and about 80% of the ESR packages covers

adult literacy, Education for All and technical education. Devolution plan is the mainframe for implementation of ESR. The education sector reforms (ESRs) have been design to address the following areas of education system: 1. Comprehensive literacy and poverty reduction program. 2. Expansion of primary elementary education. 3. Introduction of technical stream at the secondary level. 4. Improving the quality of education through teacher training. 5. Higher education sector reforms. 6. Public-private partnership. 7. Innovative programs.

Discipline covered at Undergraduate level BA/BS (Hons) Four Years Bachelors Degree Program) GC University, Faisalabad offers quality education thats why it has initiated four years (Honors) Bachelors degree program in various disciplines as per requirements of HEC and to achieve the international education standard. The main purpose of this program is to provide students the well-rounded education opportunities with expertise in their discipline of choice. System and Structure It is four years bachelor degree program and there are two semesters, i.e. winter and spring, of 18 weeks duration, in an academic year. The students complete the required

course work in 8 semesters. They have the option of cut off point after completing two years of their bachelors program but they will be awarded a Bachelor Pass Degree only. Students would have the facility of readmission in his/her 4 years bachelor program but he/she has to apply within the prescribed period for re-admission, otherwise he/she will lose the right of re-admission. There is mid Semester tests after eight weeks from the start of teaching of a Semester and is conducted by the relevant Department. There is also a summer session of 8 to 10 weeks duration as a part of an academic year and will be optional. Students who wish to improve D, E and F grade (s) may enroll in this session in the courses offered. Benefits of 4 Years (Honors) Program:

International standard degree Research oriented Career oriented Internship opportunities in well reputed organization Independent project formulation and simulation Presentations and seminars Leading to one year Masters Program

Job opportunities at BS 17 levels Bachelor of Science: (Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering) (Morning Programs) In order to make the BCS program aligned with the needs of the profession, the BCS program is being re-launched as Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, BS(CS).In addition the following new degree programs are also being launched starting August 2008:

- BS in Software Engineering, BS (Soft. Eng.) - BS in Information Technology, BS (IT). Karachi institute economics and technology Bachelor of Computer Arts (BCA) Program is being offered in collaboration with Premier Graphics & Animation (PGA). (www.premiergraphic.com) The BCA 4 years degree program is offered at the City Campus in the mornings. The program meets the HEC and international standards for full-length 4-year bachelors degree. With advances in digital technology and its integration with the field of arts - new technical avenues and areas have been formed. These include Graphic Design, Media Production, Animation and Multimedia. This program is geared towards harnessing a work force, which will meet the ever-increasing demand in these specialized areas. National Education Assessment System (NEAS) The National Education Assessment System (NEAS) was established to undertake systematic evaluations of student learning achievement across Pakistan and share the analytical results with both policy makers and practitioners to inform the education quality reform process. With data that is comparable across regions and over time, NEAS can identify gaps and bring about improvements in the curriculum, teaching and classroom support practices, as well as in the development of learning aids.

Bank Support NEAS is a key pillar of the Governments national education policy that focuses on improving the quality of education services and aims to produce life long independent learners. The World Bank is providing a $3.63 million loan, in partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID) (which is

providing funding equivalent to $1.14 million) to support the National Education Assessment System (NEAS). This technical support is for the design and administration of student assessments, capacity building of technical expertise required for the development and analysis of the assessments, and facilitating the dissemination of findings to stakeholders. Bank support is also directed towards strengthening the administrative and management structure of the asses Achievements Since 2003, NEAS has made rapid progress in strengthening both its institutional arrangements and its technical capacity. Key achievements of NEAS include: Establishment of an administrative structure, with the federal as well as all regional assessment centers now both fully functional and fully staffed; Intensive capacity building efforts, with technical staff provided access to both international degree programs and in-country training, the latter conducted by the World Bank Institute in partnership with NEAS and the World Bank; Successful completion of all planned assessments, including the baseline surveys that establish standard benchmarks against which future trends in student learning will be measured; Initial results for levels of student learning in Grade IV and VIII that provide insight into key weakness in the current system (see Graph); Improvement in quality of item writing (tests of student competency), instrument design, data collection and sampling procedures, and coverage of the curriculum which leads to an improvement in the overall quality of the assessment; Regular dissemination of test results to key stakeholders so that the findings can be incorporated in reform of policy and procedures; Development of a communication strategy which includes the launch of a website (www.neas.gov.pk) and circulation of quarterly new letters by federal and provincial assessment centers; and

 Partnership agreements with other education institutions, such as the Institution of Education and Research (IER) Punjab and the Federal College of Education, to strengthen training and development of key technical skills in the assessment system. Strengthening the Education System For NEAS to be established as a student assessment system on par with international standards, several key steps towards institutional strengthening, capacity building and improvement in technical quality and processes should be undertaken. - Further investment in the technical proficiency of key staff is required, in both specialized skills (item writing, sampling, test procedures) and core expertise (report writing, comparative analysis). - This will facilitate improvements in test and instrument design, and will support robust research and analysis. Extending the dissemination of results and findings to primary stakeholders, particularly teacher trainers, textbook developers and policy makers is important. - Deeper understanding of the assessment process and stronger linkages between assessment systems and other education sub-departments (such as teacher professional development centers, examination units, curriculum wing, and textbook development) will aid better informed and strategic use of assessment information for improvements in student learning. The longer term sustainability of NEAS will depend not only its establishment as an autonomous body and but also the degree of integration between the federal and regional assessment centers so that cross learning and implementation of best practice is facilitated. With continuous improvements in test instruments and key technical skills, NEAS will be able to track overall system efficiency as well as individual student performance, and identify key areas for intervention that will lead to improvement of the quality and effectiveness of the education system.

Development Projects: The Government of Pakistan has set a target to double enrollment in higher education over the next 5 years whilst bringing about significant improvements in the quality of education delivered at higher education Institutions across the country. In order to achieve these objectives, the Government is making significant investments towards developing institutional facilities, introducing new disciplines in cutting-edge and market based technologies, developing human resource including faculty, improving research facilities and student services, creating linkages with local & foreign universities and promoting university-industry interaction, amongst many others. The planning and development activities of the Commission aim to meet reform objectives through the development, funding and implementation of projects in these key areas. Academic Infrastructure In pursuit of institutional excellence in teaching and research, HEC has made massive investments to upgrade the physical infrastructure of universities, particularly to cater for the requirements of increased enrollment in higher education and to accommodate the students admitted through various human resource development programs. Cognizant of the fact those traditional brick-and-mortar solutions to improve access will only have an impact to limited degree, HEC has developed a comprehensive ICT strategy to utilize ICTs and distance education to provide education to the masses. Decades of under-investment in the Higher Education system have led to underdevelopment of physical infrastructure of universities. Strategies for increasing enrollment in higher education, improving research capacity and improving quality of education programs succeed only when the necessary infrastructure for these intervention strategies is in place. In this regard, HEC is complementing these activities through a host of physical and technological infrastructure programs to provide high-quality education services to the sector.

The Planning and Development division of HEC has continued to work with the Planning and Finance divisions of the Government of Pakistan to ensure that development needs of the various public sector universities are provided for. The development expenditure of the universities is allocated on the basis of performance and need, where the need is defined both in terms of the particular requirements of that institution as well as the need for improvement in the higher education sector at a macro level. Universities are encouraged to submit development projects that are relevant to their institutional needs. These projects are submitted for review by the appropriate authority (DDWP, CDWP or ECNEC- dependant on project expenditure) and funds are released accordingly.