Lack of policy jeopardises academic futures

Officials remain unavailable to comment, intermediate students fear losing a year of study

KARACHI:

Despite much back and forth, it appears that Sindh Government’s Department of College Education has failed to provide a re-admission policy at the graduate level, for the same year, in Karachi’s public colleges.

Where thousands of students who entered government colleges last year, have now been admitted to associate degree programmes under the promotion policy enacted during the pandemic, the academic fate of the 2021 cohort has started to appear murkier than ever.

Considering that the department of College Education does not have an academic policy so far, several questions have been raised about the enrollment of these students this year, while their chances of pursuing higher education has also been put in jeopardy.

It should be noted that some 97 Government Degree Colleges in the city are currently affiliated with Karachi University. Out of which, the university has only admitted those students into its associate degree programme who entered under last year’s promotion policy that remained relevant till November 2020. Whereas now, the department is said to still be wracking its head over a strategy for admitting the thousands of students who have passed via 2021’s policy of opting for optional papers. It is feared that without a policy, these students could possibly be looking at losing an academic year.

It is alleged that the lack of re-admission policy is credited to the negligence of College Education Secretary Khalid Haider Shah, DG Colleges Rashid Mehra, and Regional Director Colleges Karachi Hafiz Bari Indhar, who have remained indifferent to academic affairs during their term.

The Express Tribune attempted to reach out to Secretary College Education Khalid Haider Shah and Regional Director Colleges Hafiz Abdul Bari Indhar for their statements on the matter. Where Bari remained unavailable to comment, when probed about admission of intermediate students in associate degree programmes Haider maintained that it will be "As per policy of Karachi University."

Furthermore, it should be noted that after the end of admissions in Karachi University, the university usually announces admissions in graduate/associate degree programmes in government colleges. However, this year has been entirely different.

When probed about the situation, the Karachi University Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Iraqi said the issue was discussed at the Academic Council, with brainstorming on how to get a double intake of admission in one year. “The college representatives in the Academic Council were told that if they believe that the colleges can re-admit students in one year, then they should go ahead with it. So far, however, we have not received any feedback in this regard from the College Education Department and the College Representatives in the Academic Council. Admissions policy could not be formulated because the college education department is ready to enroll thousands of students to save a year. But, in addition to that, we also have to come up with a strategy for taking exams,” told Iraqi.

On the other hand, when probed about situation, KU Academic Council College Representative and Government Degree College Gulistan E Jauhar Principal Professor Naeem Khalid said that it is a matter of the educational future of thousands of students, and there have been instances like this in the past. “One year, due to bad conditions in the city, degree classes could not be started on time. After which, the then Education Minister MA Jalil, intervened and admitted the students who had entered both the sessions in the same year (last and current year). College teachers had taught them, and Karachi University took their exams, and their precious academic year was saved,” recounted Khalid. “I spoke to Regional Director Colleges in this regard on which the RD Colleges have asked to submit a detailed report, which will be prepared and submitted to the regional director,” he added, while speaking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2021.