Punjab University. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) management fails to address a year-long confusion as its affiliate colleges in the capital continue to teach the curriculum of the University of the Punjab.
It was decided in December 2011 that the varsity will be conferring graduate and post-graduate degrees and administrate examinations and other related affairs of the colleges in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), which were previously affiliated with the University of the Punjab.
The colleges were facing various issues pertaining to examination, curriculum and programmes, and following the announcement, the teachers hoped QAU administration would solve the problems.
On the other hand, the university lacks departments for many subjects being taught at the colleges. “We are teaching Health and Physical Education, English Literature, and Geography but there are no departments for them in the university and for now, we can’t comprehend how the changes will take effect,” said Federal Government College Teaching Association President Tahir Mahmood who teaches at Federal Government (FG) Post Graduate College for Men in sector H-8.
He added that the teachers and students who are awaiting results are uncertain about the institute’s future course of action. “I am perplexed about the university’s decision regarding the fate of students who flunk more than two subjects,” said Mahmood.
Under the policy of the University of the Punjab, a student failing in more than two subjects cannot sit in the second year of a degree programme but QAU management has verbally informed the colleges to let students attend classes, saying it will take a decision in this regard after results are announced.
Another teacher from FG Margalla College for Women F-7/4, commented that they have constantly been contacting the university to resolve issues related to social sciences.
“There are problems in some disciplines, but the working committees are in contact with the board of QAU and we might soon come up with a syllabus of our own,” she added.
Another teacher from H-8 college requesting anonymity said that political science faces constant repetition of topics including sovereignty, welfare state and ideology which needs to be addressed.
QAU Registrar Shafiqur Rehman negated the claims. According to him, the practical examinations for many subjects are still to be held and it was impossible to draft conclusive results until marks from those exams are added to the aggregate.
“It was the teachers’ decision that delayed the practical examinations as they suggested they be taken after Ramazan,” he added.
About curriculum and disciplines issues, he said, according to the act, a board comprising of subject experts will issue its recommendations after which they will be approved.
“The board members are teachers themselves. They are the ones causing the delays, not QAU,” he added.
In the tug of war between teachers and varsity officials, the students have become mere figures filling a yet to be solved equation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2013.
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