September 2, 2003	Tuesday	Rajab 4, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, Sept 1: More than half of the city’s degree colleges are among institutions that have shown poor results in this year’s annual BA/BSc examinations of University of the Punjab.

It is interesting to note that leading names among the degree colleges like Gordon College and Asghar Mall College are up in the list. These colleges used to be regarded as the finest institutions of learning in the past and had produced men of excellence.

The malaise afflicting government-run institutions has also crept into better managed cantonment and garrison colleges as Federal Government Sir Syed Degree College is among the institutions showing poor results.

The pass percentage for the university this year was 35.2 per cent and 96 of the 312 affiliated institutions had a pass percentage less than 35 per cent.

In Rawalpindi, these institutions are Federal Government Sir Syed Degree College, Rawalpindi Cantonment (BA 33.33 per cent); Government College Satellite Town (BA 17.91 per cent, BSc 11.29 per cent); Government College for Women, F-Block (BA 16.52 per cent); Government Degree College Asghar Mall (BA 15.97 per cent, BSc 19.62 per cent); Gordon College Rawalpindi (BA 29.91 per cent, BSc 24.65 per cent); Government Degree College for Women Mohanpura (BA 26.32 per cent); Government College for Women Dhoke Hassu (BA 30.23 per cent).

In neighbouring Gujar Khan, which also falls in Rawalpindi district, Government Degree College’s BSc results have been unsatisfactory with a pass percentage of 28.57 per cent.

One common cited reason for the poor results is the shortage of teachers and absence of other quality teaching facilities in government-run institutions.

The other obvious reason for the situation is the poor management of these institutions. Though large number of colleges have been opened, on the insistence of a political personality of the city, not enough effort has been put in to maintain the quality of education.

Teachers during most part of the academic year had remained involved in their protest drive against denationalization of these institutions.

Executive District Officer (Education) Dr Jaleel Tariq could not be reached for his comments despite repeated attempts.