SM Science College in dire straits

Some subjects have been discontinued while only 150 out of 1,750 enrolled students attend classes

KARACHI:

The founder of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, had laid the foundation stone of the Sindh Muslim Government Science College. But the historic educational institution is in fire straits as the academic activity has virtually come to a standstill amid a shortage of teaching staff. Subjects like Statistics and Microbiology have been discontinued amid reports that out of the total 1,750 enrolled students, only 150 attend classes.

While official records from the Sindh Education Department may paint a rosy picture, the actual situation is deeply concerning. The situation at SM Government Science College, founded in 1943, is deteriorating fast. Students report that the departments of Urdu, Islamiyat, and Zoology have almost ceased to function due to a lack of teaching staff, while those who used to teach Microbiology and Statistics have been transferred.

SM Government Science College, which the second largest college in Karachi, is now grappling with the paralysis of five departments. Shockingly, there are only two computers available for the 350 students in the science faculty. Despite the passage of two months since classes began, students are deprived of practical lessons. In the past, SM Science College had 80 teachers, but now, only 29 serve in three faculties.

Around 1,750 students have enrolled in the college, but facilities such as the canteen, sports room, and library are unavailable. Talha Ahmed, a student in the Faculty of Engineering, revealed that clean drinking water is scarce, washrooms are unusable, labs are impractical due to a lack of equipment, and the teaching process has been severely affected by the teacher shortage.

Another student, Saad, noted that the college's grounds are being converted into a parking lot, extracurricular activities have halted, and construction work has been ongoing for the past year. It appears that this historic building is crumbling rapidly. Students have appealed to the caretaker chief minister, Justice Retired Maqbool Baqir, who recently undertook a surprise visit to to Govt Girls College Al-Noor, to also make such a visit to their institution.

When contacted, Sulaiman Siyal, Regional Director Colleges Karachi, told The Express Tribune that lab equipment will be available soon after the grant appeal is approved. Similarly, 100% of the work to address the teaching staff shortage has been completed.

"The chief minister has directed the colleges facing issues to submit reports, and they are currently collecting data from colleges," he added. "The previous secretary of colleges had successfully obtained a grant from the federal government for lab equipment, which will be delivered to the colleges very soon. They are committed to resolving the problems of all Karachi colleges promptly."

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2023.