ISLAMABAD: Educational experts have come up with the notion of adopting proper planning, distance learning and the use of the latest technologies to reduce education costs at schools.
For them, it might initially seem counterintuitive to invest in new technology, however, choosing the right software and tools can reduce the need for working capital and minimize the use of material resources.
‘In many cases, private institutions are charging hefty amounts, and the government should actively engage with them to get fee structures rationalized,’ remarked former Vice Chancellor Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) Dr. Shahid Siddiqui. ‘When they are earning millions of rupees, the chargeable amount is becoming unbearable even for middle-class parents, while kids of poor people cannot even think of studying at these institutions.’
‘The government and the owners of private institutions should sit together and think out a way forward to address this issue,’ he added.
He pleaded in favour of the idea of distant le
arning through the latest online techniques and said, ‘It will make us technologically efficient and help save money.”
distance
Dr. Siddiqui said different schools use bulk paper to maintain records of teachers and students and prepare reports, timetables, syllabuses, and much more. ‘Imagine how much money is spent on maintaining this physical record. But, by going paperless and moving databases to the cloud, they can cut down on a sizeable amount of money.”
He regretted that non-formal education had been a deprived area since 1974, as after AIOU, only Virtual University was established to provide distance education. ‘Virtual or distant learning is an easy source for students to access quality education on lesser fees than to physically approach the educational institutions.’
‘Then there is another dilemma of the number of books and notebooks,’ he mentioned and said, ‘it is unkindness to our babies, seen carrying kilos of books on their backs.’
“Why do we overload our primary-level students with books an
d notebooks?” he stated. ‘Can’t we reduce the number of books and shift them to the latest modes of learning in this era of the latest technologies?” He said the formal universities are converting to an online system, which will surely reduce the cost of education.
Keeping in view the hardships of parents, Vice Chancellor Islamia University Bahawalpur, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali, came up with the idea of using science and technology parks as money-making hubs to meet the education expenses.
‘First of all, the government should take education as a top priority and allocate at least 5% of the GDP for this sector,’ said Renowned educationist Murtaza Noor. ‘As per law, education is free from Grade I to 16, and the state should ensure facilities for such students, especially scholarships for those in dire need.’
He suggested establishing students’ alumni to support poor students, control the cost of education, and award scholarships to kids from marginalized segments through charity. “The private sector must also b
e bound to give fee concessions and scholarships to deserving students under corporate social responsibility (CSR).’
Fund allocation for the higher education sector in Pakistan was very low as compared to international standards, while the financial contribution by the provincial governments for HEIs had also been negligible, except in Sindh province.