Development of a Model Plan for Enhancement of Technical Education in Pakistan

Abstract

With advancement in technology our native planet Earth has become a global village, the bad or good effect of these developments in technology are being transferred from one country to another rapidly. The world of work is demanding more knowledge-able and skilled man power to run the industry, that’s why almost all developed and developing countries are concentrating more and more on development of technical education and are using technical education as a master-key for industrial and economic development, to control the increasing un-employment, promoting entrepreneurship (self-employment) and alleviate poverty. Pakistan is facing an ever increasing ratio of un-employment in youth, while the industry is lacking for appropriately trained manpower but it is a general opinion that technical education is not delivering quality. Realizing the potential role of technical education the researcher has aimed to devise a model plan for enhancement of technical education in Pakistan. The objectives of the study were: (i) to highlight the global trends regarding Technical Education, (ii) to identify the main factors which play key-role in enhancement of Technical Education, (iii) to highlight the present scenario of technical education in Pakistan, (iv) to diagnose the causes for not achieving the quality in Technical Education of Pakistan, (V) to devise a model plan for enhancement of Technical Education in Pakistan. The study was a descriptive iv research and mixed in its nature. The population of the study was all the experts of technical education, principals of all the (government) technical colleges, all the placement officers of technical colleges and alumnae of all the technical education. Through a focused group discussion the main factors that play key role in enhancement of technical education, global trends and the profile of technical education in Pakistan regarding these key factors were explored. The participants of the focused group discussion were the experts from planning commission, Education and especially the experts of technical education. Three instruments ( questionnaires) were developed that were based on the key factors explored through focused group discussion and then survey from principals, placement officers and ten alumnae members from each technical colleges, was conducted to acquire there opinion regarding the present scenario of technical education in Pakistan and key factors that play role in enhancement of technical education. This second phase (survey) was followed by third phase focusing on detailed qualitative interviews. Few of the substantial findings of the study showed that world over the technical education is considered as a master key for the in most of countries fund allocation for technical education is being enhanced and considered as an investment on the youth, which returns in the form of poverty alleviation, country’s economic growth, availability of jobs in market, self-employment of the youth and in most of the countries curricula are being made flexible and job market oriented, industry and business men are involved in the process of curriculum development, students and faculty training and evaluation of students. The study also pointed out that the condition of Infrastructure, curricula, teaching effective-ness, and intake was least satisfactory in technical colleges. The main recommendations suggested were the revision of curricula, social marketing of technical education, development of National Qualification Framework v (NQF) and Proper legislation for involvement of the industry in process of enhancement of technical education. In the light of conclusions and recommendations, a model plan for enhancement of technical education in Pakistan was devised and sent to experts for its validation and improvements were made in light of expert’s opinion.