Students perturbed over limited choice of programmes at associate degree level

Islamabad : Students studying in the educational institutions run by Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) are perturbed over limiting the choices of programmes being offered at associate degree level, finding no other option but to join private institutes and paying hefty amounts.

According to an official source, FDE has issued guidelines regarding Associate Degree Programs (ADP) running in the ICT colleges under the ambit of FDE.

The letter issued by the Director Academics stated that the number of students should be at least 30 to start any ADP and in case of lesser number of applicants/students in various subject combinations of ADP, they might be merged into one which has the higher number of applicants within the exceeding limit of 50 students per programmme.

The letter further said that the ADP should coincide with the approved BS Programme of the college and no permission should be granted to those subject combinations of ADP which could not qualify for lateral entry in the BS Programme of college.

Moreover, colleges should need to get their list of ADP approved from the Academics Wing of FDE, on yearly basis, prior to issuance of admission notice of new/intake semester.

In response to the guidelines of FDE, an Associate Professor at Islamabad Model Postgraduate College H-8 on the condition of anonymity said, I strongly disagree with the guidelines issued by FDE.

Another ill-conceived policy is being enforced by limiting the choices of subjects of studies in public colleges in the jurisdiction of the Federal metropolis.

" "It is unfair to compel the students to study those subjects which they don’t like.

Students have different minds with different interests, therefore ''universalizing'' the courses that students should take is unfair.

It is illogical that a student who is interested in a combination like Mathematics, Statistics, Economics but he/she is forced to study Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry instead because of lesser number of students in the former combination.

It will just make him/her feel tired and stressed, giving up studies/college", the professor remarked.

Another Assistant Professor at Islamabad Model College for Girls (Postgraduate) G-10/4 said, The restrictions of waiting for 30 students to enroll in a specific subject of studies would mean either waiting for numbers or better finding a place in some private college.

If the required number is not achieved, where shall the teachers employed to teach those subjects of studies go? Shall they be made OSD?" A female teacher at IMCG(Postgraduate) F-7/2 said, In a recent notification, FDE has put strict conditions on choices of subjects being offered at associate degree level which tantamounts to closing door for students to public colleges and re-directing them to private colleges being run by educational businessmen who seemed to get kickbacks from public policy makers.

Students would have more incentive to learn if they have the chance to select their own subjects instead of being forced to take certain courses.

Learning will prosper when students have actual choices", she added.

A representative of the Federal Government College Teachers Association (FGCTA) said, FDE is indeed poking its nose into things which will actually result in acute chaos and its actions are not instrumental rather detrimental to the health and spirit of education.

Limiting the choices of areas of study is indeed like denying access to higher education".

Moreover, if FDE’s guideline is followed, colleges like IMCG I-8/3 and IMCG Humak would be shut for ADP students because there was no BS programme running in these colleges, he observed.

Consequently, these degree colleges would be downgraded to intermediate colleges and poor students of the area would say goodbye to higher education after getting intermediate certificates.

It would not be possible for financially poor students of Humak to commute daily to downtown for higher education.

It would be sheer discrimination against female students who just wanted to get an associate degree.

It seemed that the authority was fully prepared to limit the access to affordable education for the youth of already poverty-stricken Federal government employees living in Islamabad, the representative said.