Model colleges refuse admissions

Islamabad’s model colleges for boys and girls have been denying students admission due to overburdening. The schools offer classes from the first grade up to the intermediate and graduation level.

There were initially only 20 model colleges, until the previous PPP government gave awarded all of the city’s 422 educational institutions ‘model’ status. However, these schools do not possess the facilities they need to provide high quality education at par with the 20 initial ‘model’ institutions. Therefore, most parents prefer to enrol their children in the aforementioned 20 schools, which provide higher quality education as compared to the other 350.

The growing problem can be solved easily, if the government takes practical measures to improve the quality of education offered at all the educational institutions under the Federal Directorate of Education.

Abid Ali, a shopkeeper, has been trying to have his child enrolled in the IMCB F-8 for several days. “I’m illiterate, so I’ve spent my entire life struggling. I’m visiting this college so I can make sure my children receive quality education,” he said.

“I visited IMCG F-7/4, IMCG F-6/2 and IMCG F-6/3 for information on sixth grade admissions for my daughter but I was told there are no admissions. As a last resort I visited the IMCG G-6, where they at least submitted my daughter’s documents, so now I’ll see what they say in the coming days,” he added.

During a visit to various educational institutions, Dawn noticed that most model schools are only taking applications for evening classes. A teacher at IMCG I-8/4 asked how it was possible for the schools to accommodate all the students. “We have limited capacity. It is the government’s duty to construct extra buildings in model schools and improve the quality of education in other schools,” the teacher said.

Like many other schools, the IMCG I-8 is only taking applications for evening classes. The school even has notices on its main gate stating that new students cannot avail bus facilities and admissions for morning classes are closed.

Urdu chair at Belarus university

Pakistan and Belarus have agreed to establish an Urdu academic chair at the Minsk State Linguistic University in Belarus and a chair of Belarus at the National University of Modern Languages (Numl) on Wednesday.

The decision was taken at a meeting of State Minister of Federal Education Balighur Rehman and a delegation from Belarus at the education ministry on Wednesday.

The first deputy of the Belarus Ministry of Education Vadim Bogush said Belarus wanted to initiate joint projects with Pakistani universities, particularly those in Islamabad.

During the meeting, the state minister briefed the delegation on the higher education sector in the country.

On Tuesday, the visiting delegation – made up of rectors/vice chancellors of the Universities of Belarus – also visited Numl and met Numl rector retired Maj Gen Ziauddin Najam and other senior faculty members. Mr Najam, while briefing the delegation, said his university is offering 26 national and international languages and has seven regional campuses across Pakistan.

He said Numl is keen to collaborate with its Belarussian counterparts to develop research culture in Pakistan, and to start student exchange program with Belarus universities. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Bogush proposed various options for exploring avenues for actionable mutual collaboration in the field of education.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2016