The Punjab government has announced the closure of all government commerce colleges in the province, planning to convert them into information technology (IT) colleges.
The Punjab Department of Higher Education has started working on this project, aiming to revitalize the educational landscape and meet the evolving job market demands.
This decision affects all 85 government commerce colleges in Punjab, which will now be restructured and upgraded to IT colleges.
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The change is in response to declining student enrollment and interest in commerce programs. Sources within the Higher Education Department noted that student numbers in each commerce college have dropped to fewer than a hundred.
Currently, the government spends up to Rs300,000 per commerce student, a significant expense prompting the need for more efficient educational resource use. By transitioning these colleges to IT institutes, the government aims to reduce costs and align educational offerings with global job market trends.
As part of the transformation, experts will be hired and new facilities introduced in the IT colleges, including co-working offices for young IT entrepreneurs and e-libraries for enhanced research and learning. This initiative aims to foster technological innovation and entrepreneurship among students.
The project is set to begin within the next 10 days, focusing on prompt completion.
Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat emphasized this shift as crucial for positioning Punjab competitively in the global IT industry.
“Our decision to convert commerce colleges into IT institutes is driven by the need to stay competitive in the rapidly advancing IT sector,” said Hayat. “We are committed to equipping our students with the skills and resources necessary to excel in the technology-driven world.”
This ambitious reform by the Punjab government reflects a broader trend of integrating technology and innovation into education to better prepare students for future career opportunities.
