KARACHI, Sept 8: Thirteen per cent of boys seeking admission to pre-engineering colleges will not get admission because of the unavailability of seats.

The centralized admission committee for colleges announced on Monday that 14,307 boys would get admission to 51 pre-engineering colleges and higher secondary schools.

It advised students to complete their admission process within a week. It also announced that the teaching session would begin on Sept 16.

Speaking at a press conference at Civic Centre on Monday, the executive district officer of the city government’s higher education department, Mohammad Raees Alvi, said that those 13 per cent of candidates — 2,116 boys, to be specific — who had failed to get admission to colleges would be given a chance in other faculties, such as pre-medical, commerce and humanities groups, if seats were available.

He said the unsuccessful candidates should not submit their claim forms till the placements lists for admission to other faculties were out. He said the unsuccessful candidates had secured D or E grade in their matric examinations.

He said a number of students living in Defence, Clifton, Mahmoodabad, Akhtar Colony, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Mohammad Ali Society and PECHS had to be placed in distant colleges because there was a shortage of boys colleges in these localities.

Mr Alvi said 1,000 more boys had been given admission to colleges than the previous year.

Answering a question, he said that principals of colleges wanted the number of faculty members increased.

However, he said, the centralized admission committee could not place more students in colleges that what the desirable students-teachers ratio permitted.

He said the authorities in the education department had been informed about the inadequate strength of teachers at colleges. He hoped that this problem would be resolved shortly.

The district officer of the city government’s education department, Prof Haroon Rashid, said that things were improving following the implementation of the centralized admission policy.

He added that admission to pre-engineering classes in colleges had closed at a higher percentage than they had the previous year.

He said 780 students would get admission to Jinnah Government College where 700 had been enrolled the previous year.

Answering a question, he said claim forms for admission to the home economics and general science groups would be entertained till Wednesday.

Students having objection to their placement in colleges could submit forms to six centres. For boys, at Government College For Men, Government Islamia Science College, Government Superior Science College, Shah Faisal Colony; and for girls, Sir Syed Girls College, Khatoon-i-Pakistan College and Women College, Shahrah-i-Liaquat.

The cut-off percentage for admission to Adamjee College was 85.29 per cent. It was 80.94 per cent for admission to D.J. Science College, 80.47 per cent for Delhi Govt College, 78.59 per cent for Stadium Road Degree College, 76.94 per cent for Gulshan-i-Iqbal College and 76.82 per cent for St Patrick’s College.