KARACHI, Sept 16: Majority of the Commerce teachers at government colleges are in favour of designing a modified syllabus for BCom programme, annual training of teachers and hiring of only commerce teachers for carrying out different commerce faculty assignments.

Responding to a survey conducted by the Commerce Lecturers and Professors Association (CLPA), 80 per cent of the teachers selected randomly, preferred American system of Commerce education to the British system or a mixture of the both systems. The teachers also opined that since the higher education in the country was based on American system, arrangements should be made to adopt the system right from the Intermediate Commerce level and onwards.

Of the 130 commerce teachers of degree colleges, 104 were selected for the survey, based on a questionnaire, prepared by a panel of experts.

The results of the survey has also been communicated to the University of Karachi as most of the issues pertained to it, urging the vice chancellor to bring changes in the examination system and advance the BCom academic session further, said Prof M A Raheem of the CLPA.

It was concluded after the survey that Business Law classes should be taught by an LLB degree holder as it was not taught at MCom level and as such graduates could not teach the subject to the satisfaction of the students.

About 95 per cent of the teachers in question strongly felt the need for modernization of BCom syllabus as the present one was based on outdated pattern and did not meet the needs of the market to a certain extent.

About 75 per cent of the teachers also called for continuing with the two year BCom (Pass) programme and opined that number of subjects at BCom level should be limited to 12 only.

It was also viewed by a significant number of teachers that Intermediate and BCom sessions should be run simultaneously. The general view in this regard, as mentioned by the CLPA, was that the admission procedure was completed in April and then in May, June and July, the classes were suspended due to inter examinations and summer vacations, which reduced the time for completion of courses and ultimately the students had to suffer.

About 65 per cent of the teachers also suggested for holding supplementary examinations for the failures of BCom examinations.

Responding to queries, related to examination system and the ongoing practices pertaining to selection of examiners and other concerned, the survey revealed that 88 per cent of the teacher wanted codification of examination scripts. Referring to the general view on the aspect, the report quoted that the codification of script was essential now as education official had become allegedly involved in “massive corruption” and as such the head examiners had to bear tremendous pressure from such forces as there was no secrecy in the assessment.

Of the 104 teachers, 85 per cent disagreed to the idea of appointing a non-commerce teacher as commerce paper setter as it was technically wrong. About 65 per cent of the teachers disagreed that members of the board of studies were entitled to be appointed as head examiners or examiners.

About 98 per cent of the teachers believed that only the persons belonging to the faculty of commerce should be appointed as members of the board of studies of commerce. “As serious matters are resolved and important decisions are taken through the board of studies, a non-commerce member can not comprehended the problems of commerce faculty and is not eligible to make well-judged decisions,” the survey report added.

The survey results also showed willingness for refresher course and teacher training programmes for commerce teachers, among the teachers, which would help them refine their teaching skills.