Achieving Access and Equity in Education: An Analysis of Higher Education Reforms in Pakistan

Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. 3107 B Hampton Highway, Yorktown, VA 23693. e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://www.ojed.org/index.php/jcihe/index

Y

15

Access to Education; Equal Education; Higher Education; Educational Change; Foreign Countries; Social Justice; Educational Trends; Socioeconomic Status; Gender Differences; Rural Urban Differences; Geographic Regions; Educational Planning; Educational Development; Private Colleges; Privatization; Poverty; Income; Enrollment Trends

2151-0393
2151-0407

In the past two decades, the Government of Pakistan has significantly invested in higher education (HE) to bring structural reforms in funding, governance, and quality assurance mechanisms. Their overarching mission has been to fuel national socioeconomic development by ensuring equal access to HE. Given this, the present study aimed to address the following research question: To what extent have current HE reforms in Pakistan enabled equitable access to HE? To address this question, this study drew from a social justice-centered framework to track trends in HE access that is, broadly and based on socio-economic status, gender, urbanicity/rurality, and region/province. Using secondary data from diverse sources including the HEC, Academy of Education Planning and Management, and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, we conducted descriptive longitudinal analyses. Findings underscore that the system has failed to provide equal access to HE in several ways and discuss some possibilities for policymakers in equalizing the opportunities.

As Provided

2024

EJ1441385