Intermediate to become part of schooling regimen

Under new policy, four-year Honours programme is equivalent to a Master’s

LAHORE: The Punjab education department has issued a new policy under which intermediate has been included in “schooling”, while the title of ‘graduate’ has been eliminated from the two-year BA (Bachelor of Arts) and BSc (Bachelor of Science) degrees.

Further, a four-year Honours programme has been deemed equivalent to a Master’s and those individuals who completed graduate degrees in two years will be given an ‘associate degree’. Meanwhile, those who get complete a two-year graduate programme and a two-year Master’s programme will be equal to those with an Honours degree.

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New instructions have been issued to government organisations in this regard. Reportedly, on the government’s instructions, the Department of School Education and the Punjab Higher Education Department have made major changes to promote standard education.

All government and private institutions have been issued special instructions in this context. On the other hand, instructions have also been issued to all government departments.

However, those who are in the process of completing their two-year degrees will be given a chance to extend their programme and obtain an Honours degree. If they do not wish to study for four years, they will be given an associate degree.

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Meanwhile, those who have completed their two-year graduation and a subsequent Master’s will be considered equivalent to Honours degrees. Students with a four-year Honours degree will be equivalent to those with a Master’s. By studying an additional 1.5 years, these individuals can obtain an MPhil.

After this policy is enforced, every intermediate student will directly do a four-year Master’s level programme and then a 1.5 year MPhil programme. In this manner, the title of ‘graduate’ will no longer be applicable.

Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun said that under the new policy, the two-year programme degrees will not go to waste. They will instead be given associate degrees.

By studying for two more years, these students can complete a four-year Honours programme which is equivalent to a Master’s, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2019.