ISLAMABAD: According to the Bill Gates the mistakes are sign of improvement, same like this due to some certain sort of alleged wrong policies and irregularities, the education sector of the country faced several challenges while some positive developments also come in practice in outgoing year 2016. Although the education is provincial subject after the 18th constitutional amendment, many jobs have been assigned to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MOFE&PT) that was created in parallel to Ministry of Education that devolved in 2011. Like previous, in the year out of school children in the country was major challenge for the MOFE&PT. According to a study report titled, ‘Population of Pakistan’: conducted by Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), there are 12.3 million children of primary school age out-of-school with an overall percentage of 58.88 among all primary school age children wherein only 41.1 per cent of primary-school age children are attending school in Pakistan. Moreover, the female drop out from the education remained another important issue in the year. For example, as per the above report respective percentages of out-of-school children for male and female children among primary-school age children are 55.7 and 60.2, respectively. It shows that the female dropout rates are higher for all ages then male. More than 8.6 million children of the primary-school age will never enter school the school even. Minister Baligh Ur Rehman also acknowledged these facts on several occasions. He is hopeful to resolve this issue gradually. Beside this accurate creation of curriculum in the primary education, was also another major challenge for the MOFE&PT. Despite passage of years since the creation of Curriculum Wing in the ministry, a comprehensive curriculum policy could not be defined yet. However, a National Curriculum Council (NCC) was established in tenure of incumbent minister for MOFE&PT Baligh Ur Rehman. With few other welcoming moves, a significant rise in education budget was very important measure among them. According to the budget, the allocation was Rs 84.19 billion for Education Affairs and Services in the federal budget for 2016-17 against Rs 75.57 billion for previous fiscal year (2015-16). It shows 11 percent increase that highest in last several years. If one notices the budget of Higher Education Commission (HEC), it increased by 13 per cent as compared to last fiscal year. Likewise a significant rise in budget for pre-primary primary education affairs was also among the good steps in the education sector. The HEC itself beside some appreciating efforts has also failed to achieve some certain sort of goals. For example, Medium Term Development Framework-II (MTDF) 2010-15 is one of them. Some portions of this MTDF could not be achieved in practical means. Moreover, so for no university being functioned in higher education sector could make a place in the list of top 500 universities in the world, as per ranking by Times Higher Education ranking. In the year, the monitoring body–HEC took action against several universities and academics that were violating the rules and regulations set by the body. Al-Khair University AJ&K, Preston University Islamabad, Global Institute Lahore and some others are in such list of violators. The HEC shut down the Al-Khair University AJ&K and Global Institute Lahore over observing some mismanagements and irregularities in these institutions. While some PhD programs were closed in the Preston over not fulfilling the prescribed criteria. According to the Chairman HEC Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, the commission has closed down 31 PhD and 26 MPhil programs in various public and private universities during the last 18 months. In the year, the commission also refreshes the black listed scholars. Currently around 45 scholars are in black list of HEC. Few months ago, a pro rector of COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Haroon Rasheed PhD degree was cancelled by his Preston University when HEC proved 72 per cent plagiarism in his doctoral. Moreover, in-compliance with directions issued recently from President Mamnoon Hussain, HEC started the academic audit of the universities. In some other good developments, the HEC has been allocated Rs 5.4 billion for introduction of new schemes including Ph.D Scholarship Program under Pak-US Knowledge Corridor phase-1, Strengthen and up-gradation of the Universities of less developed areas of the country, Women University campuses at Pashin and Khuzdar, Fulbright Scholarships Support Program of HEC-USAID Phase-2, Indigenous PhD fellowship for 5000 scholars HEC phase-2 and allocation scholarships separately for the FATA and Balochistan students. Beside these national perspectives of education, some alleged mismanagements also reported in the federal education and it’s monitoring ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CA&DD). For example, despite tall claims by the authorities the security system in the capital educational institutions could not be foolproof completely. Instead this the authorities alleged for corruption and irregularities in purchasing and installation of CCTV cameras. It was also reported by a private NGO that the drugs are being sold to the students in the majority of the capital school and colleges. The issue was also raised on the floor of house.