Academic delays: First-year students still waiting for college admissions

Mismanaged placement results have left many students high and dry

KARACHI: With only seven months left for the Higher Secondary Certificate part-I examinations, the admissions of first-year students in Sindh's government colleges are still being processed.

Many students suffered due to the Sindh E-Centralised College Admission Programme 2015-2016's mismanaged placement results, which were announced a week before. "I have scored 84 per cent marks and am eligible for all the best colleges but still my name is not in the admission list," said Zain Farrukh, who came to submit a claim form for his college admission at the provincial colleges director-general, Prof Dr Nasir Ansar's office.

Farrukh, who has applied to the pre-engineering faculty, submitted his form on August 8.



"Today they are telling me to fill a claim form after which they will give me admission in the college, keeping in view the seats left," he complained. "I am eligible for all good colleges including DJ Science College, Adamjee College and Islamia College but I still have to suffer because of someone else's mistake," the 16-year-old lamented.

"It has been two months since my son's Matric result was announced but his first-year admission is still being processed," complained a mother of another student, who was processing the claim form for his admission.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Express Tribune, the regional director for colleges, Inam Memon, admitted that there are some complaints regarding the placement results. "We receive claim forms every year and it is usual that this year we are also receiving complaints," he said.

Giving the reasons behind the placement result mistakes, he said that sometimes they do not receive the forms from the relevant banks where the students submitted their forms, while some cases occur due  to negligence at the time of processing the forms and finalising the lists of successful candidates.

He also said that there are some students who just entered one college's name instead of the five options given but could not meet the academic criteria for admission, which is why their names are not in the list.

Secondly, some of the students who have filed claim forms are those who have completed their Matriculation from the federal board and did not submit complete documents, while some are suffering due to our own negligence, he added.

"We have assured all the parents and colleges that claim results will be announced within two days and no more time will be wasted in starting the new session," Memon assured. He also said that they have set up 32 claim centres all over the city, with 17 for females and 15 for males, to entertain complaints and resolve issues as soon as possible.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2015.