The vice-chancellors and teachers of Sindh, Mehran and Agriculture universities have tried to dispel the impression of a section of students and their supporters by explaining the steps taken by universities to improve the quality of higher education in the province.
Vice-chancellor Sindh University Mazharul Haq Siddiqui, addressing students at the university campus Jamshoro on Saturday, held out an assurance that no additional year or fee would be increased for students with the introduction of four-year Bachelors Honours. He said the standard of the higher education would be improved in the universities of the country with the introduction of this new programme.
He said that this programme would include other subjects such as computer skills, environmental sciences, general sciences, geography and statistics under the revised syllabus of the social sciences.
He said: "The confusion created by unscrupulous persons amongst the fresh students and parents is uncalled for as university would not deprive any student of getting higher education.
The VC said: "The curricular reforms are being implemented with full support of the Academic Council/ Syndicate and other statutory bodies."
He said that the acceptability of the programme by students as well as parents could be judged from the fact that there has been 90 percent increase in enrolment in the Faculty of Natural Science during the session 2005.
"The four-year bachelor degree is equivalent to M.A., M.Sc. for jobs both in government & private sector organisations, including lectureship in universities," he said and added that these graduates will have better opportunities in international job market where the requirement is 16-year education for graduation ie it enjoys international compatibility and acceptability.
He said: "In case a person after two years does not want to continue, he is entitled, according to rules, to have his pass achievement converted to pass degree."
The vice-chancellor, who was also member of the Task Force for improvement of quality of higher education in Pakistan, highlighted objects of the Task Force and said that its objectives were to identify the weaknesses and shortcomings in the higher education system in Pakistan and recommend reforms to improve the system.
KEY ISSUES: He said that key issues before the Task Force were ineffective governance and management structures and practices, inefficient use of available resources, inadequate funding, poor recruitment practices and inadequate development of faculty and staff, inadequate support for research, politicisation of faculty, staff and students and strong scepticism about the realisation of reform.
He said that the Task Force identified the problems in higher education after lengthy discussions with representative stakeholders, public and review of reports of earlier commissions formulated to improve the quality of higher education.
The vice-chancellor said that all the seven Commissions one after the other came up with very pertinent recommendations but lacked the strategy for implementation and were rendered ineffective by poor funding.
The VC said that the federal government accepted the recommendations of the Task Force and set up a steering committee for the implementation of these reforms.
The VC on this occasion assured the students and parents that with the new programme no additional year will be spent and parents will not be burdened financially.
CLASSES BOYCOTTED: Meanwhile, the students boycotted the classes and shouted full-throated slogans against the new programme for obtaining the bachelors degree. A section of students boycotted the classes at Mehran and Agriculture University. At the Agriculture University the Rangers were called in and students were forced to vacate the hostels. There are reports that the JSSF has organised protest demonstrations in educational institutions in other parts of the province.
Comments
Comments are closed.