Higher authorities, in my view, are only doing their best to deprive students of knowledge, learning and education
KARACHI: I am writing in response to the story by Riazul Haq, “HEC struggling against the tidal wave of internal issues” published in The Express Tribune on March 29. I would like to applaud and thank the writer for unravelling the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) “troubled waters”, especially as I have seen many people suffer under the HEC’s policies. I know of universities that have gained ranking in the HEC varsities’ ranking list and know all too well of instances when these universities have dodged students, bringing forth the HEC policy which says that Pakistani universities are not allowed to accept a student who has two A level passes.
These universities accept students, draw huge amounts of admission and semester fee and then bring forth the HEC policy where they are apparently not allowed to admit a student who has just two A level passes. As a result of these “troubled waters”, students suffer. I read the story on the HEC with sheer contempt in my heart and would like to express my disappointment at its muddled policies. Due to the “internal issues” that the story mentions, the HEC is unable to keep checks and balances on institutions and many private universities end up taking advantage and misuse the HEC’s policies. Here, I would also like to point out the HEC’s double standards. When universities abroad have no issues accepting a student on two A level passes, to see the HEC demanding at least three passes appears not only ridiculous but evokes disgust, annoyance and contempt for the Pakistani system of education. Higher authorities, in my view, are only doing their best to deprive students of knowledge, learning and education.
Mariam Rehman
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2015.
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