Minister directs HERA to take steps for provision of quality education in KP

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education, Archives and Libraries Meena Khan Afridi on Tuesday issued directives to the concerned officers of KP Higher Education Regulatory Authority(HERA) to take tangible steps for promotion and provision of quality education in the province.
He further issued directives that the authority must take action against those private educational institutions which do not fulfill the criteria of standard institution.” Provision of quality education in the whole province is included in our top priorities” he said while chairing meeting of HERA in Civil secretariat Peshawar.
Sajid Inam, Secretary HERA, Chairman Sharif Hussain and other officers attended the meeting. A detailed briefing was given to the provincial minister about the work and performance of the authority.
The minister was briefed regarding the complete process and procedure of registration of private universities and colleges with the authority.
In the briefing, it is said that 344 private universities and colleges have been registered with the authority in different districts of the province so far, including nine universities, one university sub campuses, one degree awarding institute, eight medical colleges, three dental colleges, two medical and dental colleges, one engineering college, two homoeopathic colleges, 181 allied health sciences/nursing colleges, 36 general degree colleges and 100 professional institutions.
“160 sub-standard private higher educational institutions have been de-registered” was told in the briefing.
However, a brief on the achievements and activities of the regulatory authority was also discussed, it was said that seminars have been organized in various universities under the auspices of the authority, while training of 100 youth and 100 faculty members from Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Peshawar, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Fata University and Hazara university in four different thematic areas such as diversity management, digital citizenship, leadership and research methods have been delivered.
Technical trainings scholarships in district Karak, Kohat and Hangu have been started in collaboration with Kohat Division Development Project. In the meeting, various suggestions and reforms in the authority also came into discussion.