KARACHI, Aug 5: Unlike mushroom growth of schools in the private sector, the number of private colleges is declining owing to the reluctance shown by students in getting admissions at these institutions.

According to an official of the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK), the number of applications by the private intermediate colleges to seek affiliation with the board is declining steadily, as students are hesitant in approaching these institutions for admissions and instead prefer government- run intermediate colleges.

“The number of private intermediate colleges affiliated with the BIEK has been lowered down as board started cancelling the affiliation of such institutions for showing poor results in the annual exams,” he said.

Earlier, administrations of around 30 private intermediate colleges and higher secondary schools used to approach the BIEK for affiliation, he added.

During the last 15 years, owners of some 22 private intermediate colleges in Karachi closed down their colleges and sold the college buildings, which were later transformed into residential units.

The BIEK official attributed lack of qualified and trained faculty, teaching facilities, paucity of equipment and lack of interest taken by the owners in improving the standard of private intermediate colleges as major reasons behind students’ reluctance in seeking admissions at these institutions.

“The image of private intermediate colleges and higher secondary schools is not very good among students and majority of students after passing their matriculation exams, prefers government-run colleges for higher studies,” he said.

On the other hand, there are over 100 government-run intermediate colleges in the city and some of them are famed for showing extraordinary results. Government-run intermediate colleges still enjoy the confidence of an overwhelming number of students and majority of them, around 99.9 per cent are placed in these institutions.

He said, as per policy, the BIEK would disaffiliate the public and private intermediate colleges and higher secondary schools, which would have less than 33 per cent results in the exams.

“The board had decided some years back to disaffiliate the colleges and higher secondary schools, which would fail to show at least 33 per cent results in the HSC exams,” he stated.

The order and decision of the intermediate board was circulated among all the public, private colleges and higher secondary schools, he added. He further informed that the board was giving some relaxation on the issue of 75 per cent attendance to these colleges, but private colleges would not be allowed to operate unless they improve their performance.

At present, some 20 per cent public and 10 per cent colleges are expected to be disaffiliated, as some of them had been showing less than 10 per cent results for the last several years, he said.

During the last year exams, more than 10 public and private colleges and higher secondary schools got less than 10 per cent results. Almost 20 per cent institutions, both government-run and private colleges and higher secondary schools, are continuously showing less than 33 per cent results for the last three to four years, he maintained.

According to him, the proposal was sent to the provincial education department and the governor for approval, and now it has been circulated among all the colleges and higher secondary schools to improve their standards, otherwise, the BIEK would disaffiliate such colleges.—PPI