Sindh varsities to continue two-year programmes: Khuhro

CM aide says discontinuation of programmes will affect students from low-income backgrounds the most

Adviser to the Sindh chief minister on universities and boards Nisar Khuhro announced on Wednesday that varsities in the province would continue to offer two-year undergraduate programmes, slamming the federal Higher Education Commission's decision to discontinue the programmes.

Earlier, the HEC had announced the ending of two-year undergraduate programmes, replacing them with semester-based four-year degree programmes. The HEC would not be recognising any two-year Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees awarded after 2018.

Addressing a press conference along with Professor Shah Ali Alqadir of Karachi University Teachers Society, University of Karachi (KU) syndicate member Prof SM Taha and Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association representative Prof Yaqoob Chandio, Khuhro dubbed the HEC's decision an "attack on provincial sovereignty."

He said universities complying with the HEC's decision, including the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, would be convinced not to discontinue to the two-year degree programme.

Khuhro was of the view that the replacement of two-year programmes with four-year programmes would affect students from low-income backgrounds, particularly those wanting to pursue higher education in Sindh, the most.

Reiterating that varisties in Sindh would continue two-year degree programmes, Khuhro said they were entitled to do so under the Sindh Universities Amendment Act, 2018, which granted provincial autonomy.

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In this regard, he also referred to the 18th Amendment. Without naming anyone, he remarked, "Few elements are against the historic 18th Amendment, under which education became a provincial subject."

He added that the 18th Amendment led to the formation of the Sindh HEC and as per the body's rules, varsities in the province could function in line with their statutes.

"The federal HEC is constantly violating this provincial autonomy by introducing poor policies and undue interference," he commented.

He further stated that the Sindh government would not allow the federal HEC to verify degrees issued by Sindh's universities.

Earlier, the KU had also voiced rejection to the HEC's decision of ending two-year undergraduate programmes.

Criticising the decision in a summary sent to the Sindh government's universities and boards department, the varsity had maintained that it would be continuing two-year bachelors and masters programmes and admitting students in the said programmes in the future.

The policy does not take into account the financial condition of universities, as well as the future of private students, the summary pointed out. It further elaborated that the KU had been facing an annual deficit of Rs2 billion and 27 per cent of the varsity's administrative expenses were paid using the fees collected from two-year degree programmes.

Besides, infrastructure is needed for introducing associate degree programmes at colleges and the institutions lack the staff needed for such programmes' implementation, the summary stated.

Moreover, the KU had made it clear in the summary that it only exercised "academic control" over its affiliated colleges and administrative decisions such as the replacement of two-year degree programmes with associate degree programmes were taken by the director general of colleges. The change cannot be made without his approval, the summary stated.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2021.