PHC asks govt to evaluate private colleges

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday directed the Higher Education Department to check whether or not the private colleges have fulfilled the set criteria.

Justice Ikramullah Khan heard a writ petition of 17 students of the National College of Sciences in Peshawar. The final semester students in the subject of “Doctor of Physical Therapy” including Bilal and Ikram had filed the writ petition, claiming that the college management declared them successful in the mid-term examination and received tuition and examination fee, but the Khyber Medical University declared them unsuccessful. The students requested the court to direct the college administration to return fee of each student, amounting to Rs160,000, and direct the Higher Education Department to adjust them in another college.

During hearing, the petitioners’ lawyer Naqeeb Takar submitted that the college had deceived the students by giving false information just to charge fee from them in time. He said the college told the students that they had passed the mid-term examination and were promoted to the fourth semester.

The lawyer said the college administration received tuition and examination fee for the fourth semester. He added that when the students were ready to give exam for the fourth semester, the Khyber Medical University told them that they had failed the third semester.

He further submitted there was no proper teaching staff and facilities for the courses in the college. The students were worried for their future as their one year was already lost due to the false claims of the college administration.

On the other hand, a representative of the college told the court that the college had not deceived the students as both the college and KMU were grading the students. She claimed that the college had declared the students successful, but the KMU declared them unsuccessful as major portion of marks were given by the university. Unfortunately, she added, the KMU result came very late and that was why the students suffered.

The court fixed August 30 for the next hearing into the case. It also directed the advocate general office to submit to the court a report about whether the college is in a position to impart education or it is just minting money from students.