The Punjab Higher Education Department has proposed a major restructuring of commerce education by planning to place public sector commerce colleges under the administrative control of public universities, a move the government says will improve efficiency while educators fear it may weaken specialized commerce studies.
The proposal, earlier announced by Provincial Minister for Higher and School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat, aims to shift dozens of public sector commerce colleges to selected universities across Punjab. In a video message, the minister said the government intends to outsource commerce colleges and several low-enrolment general colleges to optimize resources and improve academic outcomes.
According to official sources, the Higher Education Department has formally written to vice chancellors of multiple public universities, asking them to take charge of commerce colleges in their respective regions. The universities have been directed to submit one-year feasibility reports covering academic planning, market-oriented programmes, employment relevance, resource utilization, and implementation timelines.
This proposal follows steps taken in 2024 when the department merged all commerce colleges into general colleges, including women’s commerce institutions. That decision affected hundreds of teachers and thousands of students, who were shifted into general education streams across several districts of the province.
While the Punjab government maintains that the restructuring will streamline public resources and align education with market needs, the Commerce Professors and Lecturers Association has opposed the plan. The association views the move as part of a broader outsourcing strategy that could dilute the quality and identity of commerce education. Educators and students have also expressed concerns that specialized training may suffer if the transition is not carefully managed.