The government, in 2012, had decided that the university will be conferring graduate and postgraduate degrees and will be overseeing administrative examinations and other related affairs of colleges under the ICT Administration.
The schools and colleges were previously affiliated with the University of Punjab (PU). Some 15 colleges in ICT got affiliated with QAU after their affiliation with PU was revoked in 2012.
Before the new affiliation, the colleges faced problems with examinations, curriculum and programmes. According to teachers, while most of those problems remain, maladministration and mishandling has made matters worse.
“We now wish we were still under PU administration. Despite correspondence issues with PU, QAU has left us with…no option,” said a teacher of Islamabad Model College for Boys F-8/4.
On October 20, colleges were issued letters to submit admission fee of students, with the submission deadline set as the same date.
The university has yet to set up a specialised faculty to initiate the programmes as teachers from different colleges have been visiting the management personally to offer suggestions, but to no avail.
On the other hand, the university lacks departments for many disciplines 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. For now, we can’t comprehend how the changes will take effect,” said another teacher from Islamabad College for Boys G-6/3.
Talking about one of the ‘missteps’ made by university officials, IMCB F-10/4 Principal Ali Yar said all of his students were initially given failing grades in geography, but it later turned out that the marks for the practical exams had not been added to the total figure.
In May this year, glaring mistakes were committed by the examination section. Roll number slips with incorrect or unclaimed subjects were issued to students. Moreover, question papers reached the examination centres up to two hours after the exams were scheduled to start. There were also many out-of-course questions.
“I think they want to revoke the affiliation with colleges as they have not made any effort to solve the issues,” Federal Government College Teachers Association President Sagheer Mirani told The Express Tribune.
He suggested that they could get help from college teachers and initiate a training programme for the staff. “It’s not a big deal to regulate 15 colleges with 5,000 to 6,000 students,” he concluded.
Acting QAU Vice-Chancellor Eatzaz Ahmad was not available for comment. However, a few days earlier, he had said there were plans to call a meeting of teachers to address examination and discipline issues at the colleges.
In May this year, glaring mistakes were committed by the examination section. Roll number slips with incorrect or unclaimed subjects were issued to student.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2014.
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