As a concerned father of two adolescent siblings who are soon going to join their colleges, I am satisfied that the Punjab Government has, at last, taken an important initiative of launching four years bachelor degree programme in 26 selected colleges in the province. This will provide opportunities of quality education at affordable rates to the majority of the students who cannot go to private institutions. I hope this will especially benefit the poor and the middleclass strata who cannot afford to join pricey colleges in the private sector for getting admission in Bachelor or Master Programmes in Business Administration, Management Sciences or Commerce/Accounts and Information Technology subjects.
After reading newspaper advertisements and policy statements of Punjab government high-ups, one should be very much clear that the move is not aimed at privatisation of government colleges, but it will give necessary financial/administrative autonomy to the colleges which will enable the college Principals to take timely decisions. It will also be helpful to start new courses so that students could get quality education and now Principals will also be free from the pressure of Secretariat Babus.
Then, why is there hue and cry over it? Will it dampen any others business interests? Certainly yes as now students will have another subsidized option vis–vis private sector. I, therefore, fail to understand why some circles are opposing this move while posing themselves as self-righteous champions of student rights. Can I ask what these elements have done for the rights of the poor students?
It seems this is unacceptable to some powerful edu-barons who are sponsoring this useless invective which is in fact against the poor strata.
QUDRAT ULLAH
Lahore
