- PCATP makes startling revelations including inappropriate conduct between students, sexual and physical harassment by the teachers, drug abuse and lack of proper facilities
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners, PCATP, issued a public notification on September 17 about the status of more than two dozen schools, colleges and universities that offer B.Arch and town planning programs.
According to the list, three top universities of twin cities, National University of Science and Technology, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) and National College of Arts, Rawalpindi have not been accredited by PCATP. Accreditation has been granted to 2010, 2011, 2012 batches of NUST while that for CIIT is on hold since December 31, 2013 with its Batch 2014 onwards not accredited by the body. The case of National College of Arts, Rawalpindi, is special because not only its accreditation has been discontinued but its B.Arch program has been recommended for closure by the PCATP.
The report of PCATP visiting team to NCA, Rawalpindi, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, points out “callous administration and management of Rawalpindi campus, where the management turns a blind eye to inappropriate conduct between students and allows teachers to use inappropriate language with the students”. It also points out the existence of inappropriate conduct between students, use of inappropriate language by teachers with students, sexual and financial harassment, bullying and ragging in the name of ‘tradition’, callous management of boys and girls hostels, use of recreational drugs and no SOPs in case of emergency situation. The report also reads that no action was taken despite the matter being brought to the administration’s notice.
The report also highlighted the lack of infrastructure including absence of proper water supply, lack of furniture, lack of proper printing facility, non-functional heating and cooling systems and overall lack of maintenance of campus.
PCATP showed its concerns about deviant bullying and ragging, alarming ratio of permanent vs visiting faculty, harassment of students by some teachers and lack of model-making workshop. It also showed its reservations regarding the ability of the present head of NCA to run a professional institution.
Despite repeated attempts, Pakistan Today was not able to get in touch with authorities at NCA.
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners stated in a notification that the graduates from all those institutions whose accreditation (Architecture/ Planning) have been put ‘On Hold’ by the council will have to undergo a professional examination for acquiring Council’s registration. Furthermore, this assessment test will be conducted by the Council will apply to those graduates who were declared qualified during “On Hold” period by their representative.
