High fees at ICT colleges scare away students
The HEC observed that two-year degree programmes were still being offered at universities and colleges affiliated with it despite its 2018 notification. PHOTO: APP/File
Access to quality education is the basic right of every human being and the onus lies with the powers that be to provide the future generation education completely gratis or at least at subsidized rates.
In Pakistan the cost of quality education is increasing manifold and parents are finding it extremely difficult to cope with the expenses of their children.
However, it seems that the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) colleges are adding salt to the wounds of parents by charging exorbitant fees as compared to the provinces.
This exacerbates the financial woes of low income families to afford higher education for their children.
This has resulted in low enrollment and dropouts from ICT institutions as students from rural areas have returned to their provinces forcing them to forego a college education due to high fees.
According to a source privy to the matter the fee structure of a four -year BS programme and Associate Degree Programme (ADP) of ICT colleges is beyond the means and paying capacity of the parents of the students.
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Students are charged fees ranging from Rs19,100 to Rs22,100 in the first semester while in the subsequent semesters it is around 15,000.
The provinces which generally have fewer resources are charging a very affordable fee.
Comparatively the fee structure in the provinces is 400% less than the ICT colleges. Consequently, students desirous of admission in the ADP or BS programme are heading to colleges in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The twin city of Rawalpindi is drawing students from Islamabad and if the trend continues, FG colleges will be deserted and infrastructure underutilised.
This exodus to provincial educational institutions also raises the problem of commuting to and fro from villages or far flung areas to colleges in cities. Muhammad Munir, a father, and a government servant said, "College Education in Islamabad is no longer affordable It is unfortunate that colleges are charging poor students high college fees.
Speaking to the media he said that the government was keeping the poor away from higher education, demanding FDE to revise the fee structure.
A professor at Islamabad Model Postgraduate College H-8 said, "Presently the fee structure of ADP and BS Programme can only enable a wealthy student to attend college
Public sector colleges should not be allowed to charge whatever they like, like a free market. Keeping in view the declining enrollment of colleges in BS and ADP, the fee structure should be revised so that a higher proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds could get education in these particular subjects.
Contrary to this, the fee structure of public colleges at the provincial level is very affordable and much lower than capital colleges. The fee structure of public sector colleges in Punjab is Rs.6,000 per annum fee for ADP. The fee for the BS programme is around Rs4,000 per semester in the public sector colleges of K-P and Punjab which is four times less than the ICT colleges.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2021.