Standard test policy sought for university admissions
Students pay multiple admission test fees for different universities
Higher Education Commission. PHOTO: FILE.
ISLAMABAD:
The absence of any centralised admission system has compelled the students to apply in multiple universities, purchase multiple admission material and pay admission fee several times to get admission in higher learning institutions.
At present, there is no centralised or uniform admission policy for enrolment to either medical or non-medical universities. The students are supposed to apply in each university or college to secure admission, which adds to financial burden for them.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has tried to introduce such a policy but the strong lobby of private medical colleges has always opposed it. There is no central induction policy for private medical colleges. However, in the government medical colleges, students are enrolled by provincial universities after tests according to merit lists.
The students complain that by the time the intermediate results are announced, the time to deposit the admission fee in general universities is over. Therefore, they are compelled to submit the fee even if they are supposed to quit later upon securing admission in another university of their choice.
The parents and the students are being charged multiple times in the guise of admission forms and printed prospectus/related material, admission processing fee, multiple attempts for entrance exams for which the fees is charged separately by universities. Moreover, there is also separate admission fee being charged for applying to different subjects/departments.
The result of the intermediate by the Federal Board is going to be announced on Monday. However, the admission dates of five federal universities have already expired, complained a concerned father, Jamshed Masood.
He said that the admission process started since last November and the students are undergoing different tests taken by the universities. "My daughter has applied in different universities and I have spent almost Rs70,000 over different entry tests and admission process,” he added.
He said that the students are required to submit dues separately in some universities for every subject to be enrolled in. He added that his daughter was asked to submit dues separately in International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) since she had applied for more than one subject.
"Universities have been forcing to submit admission fee and if you once submit fee, it's a lengthy process to get the refund. It's a big issue for the students and a financial burden for the parents who are being exploited in the absence of any policy. At least, there should a centralised system for the enrolment into the public sector universities" Masood added.
There are over 175 universities in Pakistan hence the wasteful expenditure can be well imagined, which the parents have to bear for securing admission in public and private sector universities every year.
The parents have also written to the Higher Education Commission, suggesting a uniform system so that the expenditure on multiple tests and admission can be saved. However, the regulator does not seem to agree with the idea.
There is no centralised policy since every university is autonomous and has its own senate and statutory bodies to decide about the admission policies, said HEC Director (Media) Ayesha Ikram. The HEC director defines the basic parameters for admission and has an advisory and monitoring role. She said that the university can conduct admission tests or engage an agency to conduct that test. She maintained that globally universities conduct admission on their own.
However, the parents argue that it has been practiced successfully in a number of countries across the world including in China, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Chile etc.
They said that in order to bring coherence and uniformity in the university admission process, a single standardised admission exam process be initiated under HEC for university admissions. While private sector universities are primarily business ventures and their unfettered financial motivation is understandable, it is difficult to comprehend why public sector universities have joined this money making venture despite their dependence on tax payers money.
The absence of any centralised admission system has compelled the students to apply in multiple universities, purchase multiple admission material and pay admission fee several times to get admission in higher learning institutions.
At present, there is no centralised or uniform admission policy for enrolment to either medical or non-medical universities. The students are supposed to apply in each university or college to secure admission, which adds to financial burden for them.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has tried to introduce such a policy but the strong lobby of private medical colleges has always opposed it. There is no central induction policy for private medical colleges. However, in the government medical colleges, students are enrolled by provincial universities after tests according to merit lists.
The students complain that by the time the intermediate results are announced, the time to deposit the admission fee in general universities is over. Therefore, they are compelled to submit the fee even if they are supposed to quit later upon securing admission in another university of their choice.
The parents and the students are being charged multiple times in the guise of admission forms and printed prospectus/related material, admission processing fee, multiple attempts for entrance exams for which the fees is charged separately by universities. Moreover, there is also separate admission fee being charged for applying to different subjects/departments.
The result of the intermediate by the Federal Board is going to be announced on Monday. However, the admission dates of five federal universities have already expired, complained a concerned father, Jamshed Masood.
He said that the admission process started since last November and the students are undergoing different tests taken by the universities. "My daughter has applied in different universities and I have spent almost Rs70,000 over different entry tests and admission process,” he added.
He said that the students are required to submit dues separately in some universities for every subject to be enrolled in. He added that his daughter was asked to submit dues separately in International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) since she had applied for more than one subject.
"Universities have been forcing to submit admission fee and if you once submit fee, it's a lengthy process to get the refund. It's a big issue for the students and a financial burden for the parents who are being exploited in the absence of any policy. At least, there should a centralised system for the enrolment into the public sector universities" Masood added.
There are over 175 universities in Pakistan hence the wasteful expenditure can be well imagined, which the parents have to bear for securing admission in public and private sector universities every year.
The parents have also written to the Higher Education Commission, suggesting a uniform system so that the expenditure on multiple tests and admission can be saved. However, the regulator does not seem to agree with the idea.
There is no centralised policy since every university is autonomous and has its own senate and statutory bodies to decide about the admission policies, said HEC Director (Media) Ayesha Ikram. The HEC director defines the basic parameters for admission and has an advisory and monitoring role. She said that the university can conduct admission tests or engage an agency to conduct that test. She maintained that globally universities conduct admission on their own.
However, the parents argue that it has been practiced successfully in a number of countries across the world including in China, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Chile etc.
They said that in order to bring coherence and uniformity in the university admission process, a single standardised admission exam process be initiated under HEC for university admissions. While private sector universities are primarily business ventures and their unfettered financial motivation is understandable, it is difficult to comprehend why public sector universities have joined this money making venture despite their dependence on tax payers money.