Governance and Administrative Challenges in Public Colleges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

Governance and administrative challenges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public colleges create barriers to the full flow of educational continuity.  This study explores the ground-level governance and administrative challenges facing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa public colleges, highlights how university affiliation affects the daily academic and administrative functioning of these institutions, and reports the targeted reforms and policy support that teachers believe are vital to strengthen college governance. This study used a qualitative, open-ended survey. The study collected data through a self-administered Google Form administered to 24 teachers posted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa public colleges across settled and post-merger districts at the time of the survey. The study Responses were coded using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's (2006) approach.  The study found that the shortage of resources and poor infrastructure, exacerbated by the concentrated timing of fund disbursement and delayed release, are the principal bottlenecks in operational efficiency: chronic resource and infrastructure shortage, delay generated by dependency on affiliating universities, and a call for greater institutional autonomy paired with digitization and merit-based recruitment. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that an effective reform package entails combining institutional autonomy, merit-based appointments, transparent accountability, and carefully targeted capacity building for impact.