Localization of Higher Education Commission Curricula: A
Case Study of Economics Curriculum
Khalid Khan
Department of Economics, Lasbela University of Agriculture Water Marine Sciences
Dr. Sarfaraz Ahmed Shaikh
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management Sciences, KASBIT, Karachi
Waqar Saleem Baig
Senior Instructor (Financial Management) (MTRI), Department of Local Government and Rural Development, Government of Sindh
Jalal Faiz
Faculty of Education, Lasbela University of Agriculture Water Marine Sciences Mohammad
Abdul Kamal
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan
Abstract
The new millennium education priorities have led the
policy makers to modify the higher education curriculum
in accordance with the international standards. Thus,
the curriculum standards across the country were forced
to be uniform since the inception Higher Education
Commission (HEC) in Pakistan. The universities under HEC
are not allowed to modify or localize the curricula
according to local needs, requirements and capacities.
This paper in a phenomenological way evaluates the
effect of reforms related to uniform curriculum
standards on students, teachers and universities of
backward areas in the country. The study highlights
problems related to HEC curriculum; taken ‘economics’
discipline as a case study. The study calls for the
revisit of other curriculums already in place and
re-assess in lieu of local needs, requirements and
capacities in the context of uniformity and
localization. The paper provides a road map from
localization of curriculum to uniform curriculum
standards based on combined framework of bottom-up and
top-down approach. The former approach involves all
stakeholders at different tiers for the curriculum
development, while the latter one deals with trainings
and providing forum / platform for the coordination
between the faculty members and curriculum developers.
Keywords: High School Curriculum, University Educational Decisions, Education Performance, Bottom-up Approach
