LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided in principle to expand the four-year BS (Honours) programme to 30 more colleges in the province from the academic year starting next month.

“The government had written to the principals of the public-sector colleges about launching the four-year BS (Honours) programme. Of them, the principals of 30 colleges have shown interest in it,” a senior official of the Punjab Higher Education Commission told Dawn here on Thursday.

He said the Punjab government would provide funding to these institutions for faculty and infrastructure development. “They are going to launch the BS (Honours) programme from this academic year,” he added.

BS (Honours) programme was launched over five years ago in 26 colleges of the province on the initiative of then higher education secretary Ahad Cheema. Twenty-two of them have managed to continue the programme. Most of these colleges are in Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala divisions and affiliated with the Punjab University, Government College University Faisalabad, Gujrat University and the Lahore College for Women University.

The government had allocated Rs1,000m for faculty and infrastructure development and given autonomous status to them. However, not a single penny from this amount was spent on the programme as teachers moved court against the autonomous status.

“On the success of the BS (Honours) programme the Punjab government has decided to expand it to more colleges,” the official said, adding the PHEC and the Higher Education Department had also jointly constituted an ‘Evaluation Committee’ for BS (Honours) programme.

“The committee will give its recommendations for strengthening the BS programme,” PHEC chairman Dr Nizamuddin said.

“The PHEC is not in favour of restoration of the old system of BA/BSc in place of BS (Honours). However, on the recommendations of this committee, the PHEC will suggest the HED for the provision of funds and faculty in the relevant disciplines to respective colleges,” he said.

Dr Nizamuddin said the PHEC had identified the districts where no public-sector higher education institution had been established.

“A committee has been constituted under Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah to suggest the establishment of new higher education institutions in those areas to promote higher education,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2016