Students enrolled in the four-year BS (Hons) programme in 26 colleges of the province are abandoning the programme and opting for the two-year BA degree due to mismanagement of the Punjab Higher Education Department (HED), which has even failed to announce results of terminal examination of the first semester, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Punjab University (PU) Controller Examinations Dr Liaquat, conceding the delay in the result announcement, said that there are some issues in the result announcement, as it happens in case of any new programme and the administration could not announce a final date of the result. On the other hand, Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA) President Dr Zahid Sheikh condemned the authorities’ mismanagement and said that the PPLA will protest today (Wednesday) in front of the Punjab Assembly (PA) against the four-year programme.
The delay in announcement of the first semester’s final result has exposed the HED’s commitment to make the four-year BS (Hons) programme at 26 colleges of the province, which was started with great fanfare, a success story. According to sources, the programme is being disturbed due to ignorance of the authorities concerned and after passage of around three months, BS (Hons) students are waiting for results while a number of students have left the programme and enrolling in two-years BA/BSc programme or BCom and other business disciplines out of frustration.
Last year, the Punjab government introduced this new programme at 26 colleges of the province, including six colleges of the city, with the Punjab CM being very enthusiastic about the programme. The Punjab government went ahead with this programme despite resistance from political parties, which alleged that the programme was started without any paper work while others stakeholders claimed that the initiative was a step towards privatisation of public-sector colleges.
Last month, a number of protests against the programme were held during which some students were even tortured. Some students also attacked the Punjab Assembly (PA) over the issue of starting the programme. Now, when students are leaving the programme due to delay in announcement of the results and apathy of the authorities concerned, educationists are once again reminding the government to take positive and serious steps about the four-year BS (Hons) programme.
A Government Civil Lines College professor, seeking anonymity, said that three months ago, students appeared in final exams of the first semester but the PU did not announce the students’ results until now. He said that from every section, almost half of the students have left the programme while others are also weighing similar options.
The teacher said that those who are studying in this programme are very disappointed and concerned about their future. He said that not only students, but teachers are also confused as they did not know anything about the course. The teacher said that in other countries and even in the universities where the semester system is being followed, students get their results after not more than a fortnight.
Ahmad, a BS (Hons) student, said that a number of his class fellows have registered in the two-year BA programme due to disappointment about status of the four-year BS (Hons) programme and delay in announcement of results. He said that last week, second semester mid exams finished and next month, students will sit in final exams but they have not received their first semester’s result.
Dr Zahid Sheikh said that the future of thousands of students is at stake due to the four-year BS (Hons) programme, as it has totally failed. He said that professors expressed their concerns about the programme by holding protests and even today (Wednesday), they will again remind the Punjab government to rethink their strategy.
An HED official, seeking anonymity, said that huge funds were being spent on advertisement for success of the four-year programme and lectures were delivered about awareness of the programme. He said that no doubt the CM’s vision was good and the programme was in line with modern education but officials in the HED have failed to put together the programme. Despite several attempts, Punjab HED Secretary Haseeb Athar was not available for comments.
Four-year BS (Hons) programme on the verge of collapse?a
