Record failures in varsity’s admission tests

A majority of students from Sindh that had achieved A grades at the intermediate level flunked entrance exam

KARACHI:

Students who had passed their intermediate examinations a few months earlier with flying colours, have surprisingly failed the admission test for the University of Karachi, which has put a question mark on the quality of education being imparted in the country.

More than 10,500 candidates sat for the University of Karachi’s undergraduate admission test, out of which only 29.19% students passed - a staggering 70.81% candidates failed. Furthermore, 1,960 candidates, out of the total number of candidates, were those who had passed the intermediate examinations with an A-1 or A grade but 1,560 of these students failed to pass the admission test - which translates into 79.59% of A-graders failing to secure admission in the University of Karachi.

It is pertinent to mention that many of these A-graders belonged to various education boards in Sindh. Data obtained by the Express Tribune shows that amongst the students who failed: 534 were from Karachi Board, 255 from Larkana Board, 213 from Sukkur Board, 207 from Hyderabad Board, 166 from MirpurKhas Board, 166 from Ziauddin Board, 55 from Quetta Board, 18 from Federal Board, 9 from Aga Khan Board, and 2 students were from the Cambridge system.

Former chairman of the Hyderabad Board and renowned educationist, Dr Muhammad Memon, when asked about Sindh’s students dismal performance, said that the number of A-graders who had flunked the admission test was beyond comprehension. “What magic wand are these students using that they can secure an A or A-1 in intermediate but failed to pass a basic higher education test?” Dr Memon remarked.

However, the educationist was of the view that only blaming the Boards was not a viable solution, as the entire educational as well as examination system was in “desperate need of an overhaul.” Dr Memon’s suggestion holds weight as a further breakdown of the admission test data paints a harrowing picture of the quality of education in Sindh. Only 7% of students from the Larkana Board, 7% from the Sukkur Board, 9.2% from the Ziauddin Board, 13% from the Hyderabad Board, 13.41% from the MirpurKhas Board, and 32% from the Karachi Board managed to pass the test.

The largest number of candidates belonged to the Karachi Board, 7,750 in total out of which only 2,498 passed the admission test - 1,457 of the students who failed had achieved an A-1 in their intermediate level. Secretary Universities and Boards, Murid Rahimo, was also asked about the poor performance of students belonging to various Boards in Sindh.

“There is no doubt the quality of education is poor in the province. The teachers in colleges and universities are not interested in teaching and their competence itself is a question mark. Perhaps that is why only 2% of entrants across the country manage to pass the CSS exam. Now we are seeing this situation everywhere,” opined Rahimo while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2023.