Students with low attendance barred from Inter exam

LAHORE: A number of public colleges across the provincial metropolis have withheld admission of students for the intermediate annual examinations 2018 for having less than 75 percent attendance.

As the last date (Feb 19) to submit admission forms with single fee approaching fast, the situation has started perturbing the students who see their academic future at stake in the shape of loss of a whole academic year.

Talking to The News, a number of principals of colleges said they had received special instructions this year that colleges should not send admission for the intermediate annual examination 2018 (Part-I and Part-II) of those students who had less than 75 percent attendance. They said the instructions were contradictory to the government’s policy of ‘no dropout’ though 75 percent must attendance was traditionally a requirement by the examination boards. One of the principals, seeking anonymity, said teachers were also responsible for poor attendance of the students as for their own ease and comfort they discouraged students to come to colleges on a regular basis especially during the last months ahead of exams. “This is a sad fact, most of the students of public colleges prepare for exams at private academies (tuition centers),” he said and added in such a situation expecting good attendance from students was illogical. Another principal said in almost every college only 10 percent of students had attendance of over 75 percent. “How can we withhold admissions of 90 percent of the students,” he questioned while explaining it was why the colleges usually sent admissions of maximum students at the eleventh hour, every year. Yet another principal questioned as to how they could withhold the admission of a student for Inter Part-II when he or she secured over 80 percent marks in the Part-I. He said the principals were also helpless as they feared the students could take to the streets over the issue creating a law and order problem for the government. The principal further said the government should adopt a realistic approach.

A student of Govt Degree College for Women, Wapda Town, said the college administration had refused to send their admissions for Intermediate Part-II exams despite the fact many of the students had performed well in the Part-I exams. She said the students had also passed the college send-up exams. Similarly, a student of a public college in Sabzazar said the college administration was reluctant to send admission of the students on the pretext of attendance. He said, however, they had been assured that the issue would be resolved soon.