Despite the inability to give substantial, satisfying responses majority of the candidates make it through the process
LAHORE: It is good to see that the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) now has several rankings and mechanisms to check for the mismanagement and academic irregularities within educational institutions in Pakistan. From appointment of lecturers and instructors to quality check for research work produced, HEC policies have set quite a bar for institutions to maintain.
Yet the admission test and interview requirement for many colleges seem to have the benefit of negligence on the authority’s part. Almost all the higher education institutions in Pakistan have the mandatory requirement for candidates to appear and clear both test and interview to be accepted. However, the assessment given to candidates remains the same over the years and the slightest changes and further tests only tend to generalise questions for various academic programmes lacking the scope for programme-specific assessment of candidates.
On the other hand, the interview even in the most renowned institutions is a formality with usual questions being asked, for instance, the candidate’s reason to choose that very programme. Despite the inability to give substantial and satisfying responses, majority of the candidates make it through the process without much hurdle and drill.
Moreover, as private institutions charge students a fortune in the name of tuition fee inducting the highest possible number of students becomes a prerogative to higher profits and lowers down the quality and credibility bar of an institution.
Asna Imran
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2017.
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