Higher education spending cut by 73 per cent - Pakistan

[Bane Blade]

Very well then but I feel that touching education spending is a big no no because it leads to a lot of bad rather than good. I can spot loads of places where spending can be cut before education.

 

[Energon]

If this information is in fact true, then it is extremely disappointing. Having said that, for developing countries like Pakistan, it is actually a lot more important to invest in primary and secondary school level education; and I really hope the efforts on that front are increasing and not dropping precipitously.

 

[Contrarian]

If this information is in fact true, then it is extremely disappointing. Having said that, for developing countries like Pakistan, it is actually a lot more important to invest in primary and secondary school level education; and I really hope the efforts on that front are increasing and not dropping precipitously.

That is true only till a certain limit. India for example, while having a very small base of primary and secondary school level with an astonishingly high drop out rates, invested in some first class high level institutions. And today in hindsight, we can safely say that it was the right decision.

The benefits that a quality higher education brings to a nation are numerous and have a multiplicative effect on the nations economy. It is no coincidence that a country like US spends a LOT of money to subsidize higher level education(not Graduation, but post graduation) as well as research. The grants offered to foreign students going to US for research are quite a bit by any standards.

Our IIT's, IIM's, IIFT's, IIS and numerous other institutes have done this nation a lot of service, this in turn has led to even higher investment in primary and secondary level education.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

democracy!

Development Cuts​

It is unfortunate that Pakistan’s ruling elite gets to keep its perks and privileges no matter how difficult economic conditions in the country may be. They are willing to beg from ‘friendly’ countries, borrow from international lenders and steal from the poor to get things going for themselves.

When the government embarked upon its macro-economic stabilisation programme and subsequently approached the IMF for balance-of-payments support to correct financial imbalances, it was obvious that some spending somewhere would have to be curtailed.

It was also a foregone conclusion that the cut would not affect the government’s administrative expenses i.e. its perks and privileges, and that the common people would be made to pay the price for the financial indiscretions and profligacy of the rulers. Few believed officials who tried to convince the public otherwise.

It did not take people very long to start feeling the heat of government policies. Fuel subsidies were eliminated — in fact, consumers are now paying far more than the international price of oil — and power subsidies slashed.

The government has now reduced its development spending by more than Rs100bn in the first seven months of this fiscal in the name of ‘rationalising’ the Public Sector Development Programme. The size of the latter is expected to be trimmed further during the rest of the financial year.

Another report appearing in a section of the press a few days back pointed out that the social sector — including health, education, water supply, etc — was a major victim of the reduction in development spending: allocation for it was cut by a hefty Rs79.50bn.

The twin measures — cuts in subsidy and reduction in development expenditure — were the easy way out of economic trouble for the government. They have helped fiscal deficit to come down to 1.9 per cent during the first half of the year.

The government hopes to contain it at less than 4.2 per cent by the end of the year. But the elimination of subsidies has raised the cost of living and forced many to cut essential spending on education and health.

The removal of 125 development projects from the PSDP and delays in the implementation of others mean thousands of new jobs will never materialise. But, at the same time, the government has failed to restrict its non-development expenditure which has grown by over 25 per cent year-on-year.

In spite of public statements, it has also dithered on promises to tax the rich who enjoy massive exemptions. To have done that would have also been a way out of the economic morass. But it was difficult to do because of the damage to elite interests. Public anger against the government’s policies is, therefore, not without reason.

 

[Energon]

I don't think I did a very good job of explaining my point in my earlier post, so let me try and clarify my position a bit more. I am not saying that investing in higher education is unimportant for Pakistan as a long term macro perspective. My assertion is only in the context of the unique and dire economic problems that Pakistan is currently facing. I would prefer it if the Pakistani establishment in these tough times were to divert all funding to basic security, critical social services and education. But if that is not possible and cuts are to be made, then the damage incurred by reducing funding for higher education is slightly lesser than curbing efforts for lower level education. Look below for some of the reasons.

That is true only till a certain limit. India for example, while having a very small base of primary and secondary school level with an astonishingly high drop out rates, invested in some first class high level institutions. And today in hindsight, we can safely say that it was the right decision.

The Indian government and its society at large isn't involved in a heated competition with radicalized religious institutions to see who indoctrinates their children first. Millions of children who remain uneducated in India merely go on to live miserable lives; and that is what enables successive governments manned with inept and/or corrupt politicians and bureaucrats to remain apathetic. This however is not the case in Pakistan. There are madrassahs armed with radical ideology and Gulf money directly competing and in many case outperforming the state's education efforts in poor areas and in the bargain churning out radicalized youth who pose a direct threat to the state itself and the civilian populations of other nations who then have to hold the Pakistani state responsible.

The benefits that a quality higher education brings to a nation are numerous and have a multiplicative effect on the nations economy. It is no coincidence that a country like US spends a LOT of money to subsidize higher level education(not Graduation, but post graduation) as well as research. The grants offered to foreign students going to US for research are quite a bit by any standards.

Our IIT's, IIM's, IIFT's, IIS and numerous other institutes have done this nation a lot of service, this in turn has led to even higher investment in primary and secondary level education.

I am not arguing with your observations or conclusions by any means. But you have to realize that they do not necessarily translate to Pakistan in the short term. While it is true that developing states like India, China, Brazil and South Korea (no longer a developing nation) have reaped immeasurable benefits from their higher education institutions (no point in drawing comparisons with developed nations like the US), there are also many other factors involved in contributing to this overall success. For one, all of these states have been able to continually invest and expand these institutions for almost 5 decades straight and then managed to provide economic opportunities for either newly minted grads or former graduates who went abroad, gained valuable experience and boomeranged back. For numerous reasons Pakistan has not been able to do this and things may not change for some time. I would venture a guess and say that a vast number of highly skilled/qualified professionals still have to go abroad to seek economic opportunity without much hope of participating in a boomerang effect (returning with new skills and business opportunities); and if that is the case then its better that they acquire the higher education abroad. Also the state always retains the option of sending scholars abroad under a preset condition of them returning to Pakistan and providing their services. The urgency posed by the vulnerable school going children however still reigns supreme and that by default warrants more attention.

 

[Jihad]

Hey, to all you anti-Musharraf fanatics out there, I hope you're happy, long live democracy in Pakistan.
I know I can get higher education and that the dutch government compensates it.
I cannot believe this is happening, my fellow Pakistanis around my age, older or younger, cannot give their 100% or perhaps will not have the chance to study abroad or gain more knowledge including quality class and lessons inside Pakistan because Zardari has 60 million in his swiss bank account and my fellow Pakistani students don't have SH!T.

 

[Bane Blade]

If only the people who voted did so for sensible parties our government would be much better.

Jihad if the system is allowed to run only then will we have sensible voters who can gain confidence to bring change no system not even any Islamic system can be imposed perfectly over night it needs time for people to understand and respond accordingly.

 

[TruthSeeker]

my fellow Pakistanis around my age, older or younger, cannot give their 100% or perhaps will not have the chance to study abroad or gain more knowledge including quality class and lessons inside Pakistan because Zardari has 60 million in his swiss bank account and my fellow Pakistani students don't have SH!T.

Actually the 2008 wealth of Mr. Zardari was estimated at $1.8 billion, second richest person in Pakistan. See this PDF thread:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/economy-development/15763-pakistans-rich-list-2008-a.html

 

[dbc]

Actually the 2008 wealth of Mr. Zardari was estimated at $1.8 billion, second richest person in Pakistan. See this PDF thread:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/economy-development/15763-pakistans-rich-list-2008-a.html

Wow!! Can I be President?

 

[TruthSeeker]

Wow!! Can I be President?

NO! You can't. Unless you change your flags. And, we don't know if you are old enough anyway.......

 

[Jihad]

Actually the 2008 wealth of Mr. Zardari was estimated at $1.8 billion, second richest person in Pakistan. See this PDF thread:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/economy-development/15763-pakistans-rich-list-2008-a.html

Well, that's even worse.
73% is HUGE, do people actually imagine that this is a big cutback aswell as a setback?
Pakistani youth must be well educated in order to be the backbone for Pakistan's economy and society in the near future.
I hope to see this changed very, very soon, I don't like it one bit and it seriously hurts.

 

[jeypore]

Hey, to all you anti-Musharraf fanatics out there, I hope you're happy, long live democracy in Pakistan.
I know I can get higher education and that the dutch government compensates it.
I cannot believe this is happening, my fellow Pakistanis around my age, older or younger, cannot give their 100% or perhaps will not have the chance to study abroad or gain more knowledge including quality class and lessons inside Pakistan because Zardari has 60 million in his swiss bank account and my fellow Pakistani students don't have SH!T.

Why blame Democracy. It is the right tool, but one should know how to use it. Apparently Pakistan has found the tool, also lets see how long they will have in there possession, but were they appling the tool is in wrong place. For once, this constant paranoia of Indian (aggressor) attack mentality takes lots of funds away from other important social activities.

 

[PeacefulIndian]

I think it eventually goes down to arms race, mostly with India. As we all know, India is rapidly renewing its defence infrastructure post 26/11. Pakistan has no option but to keep up. And it has to buy the equipment which is at par with what india is buying. that takes priority, and as we all know, there is the war with taliban which is already weighing high on pakistan economy.

So other activities take less priority, and face budget cuts like this :-( and any economy under influence of IMF is ought to suffer...IMF is no god, that is just another bank. and may be the worst bank

 

[pama]

first Pak do not have any education instution in top 100 colleges or universities.
on top of that these cuts

 

[Jihad]

first Pak do not have any education instution in top 100 colleges or universities.
on top of that these cuts

Great isn't it, is that why the banana is dancing?