LAHORE: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and public sector universities in Punjab have yet to figure out a solution to implementing the HEC’s decision to discontinue the two-year BA/BSc programme from the current session, while the universities express helplessness in the wake of lack of capacity and required funds.

In 2016, the HEC had directed universities across the country to discontinue two-year BA/BSc (equivalent to 14 years of education) and MA/MSc programmes after the 2018 academic year. It had given two years as grace period -- up to 2020 -- to those, who appeared for the final examination in 2018 and failed to qualify.

“The commission will not recognise or attest the two-year BA/BSc degree issued after the 2018 annual examination,” an HEC official asserted.

However, there was not much focus on building capacity, creating required infrastructure and making qualified teachers available to teach market-oriented courses.

The previous Shahbaz Sharif government had launched the four-year BS (Honours) programme in 26 ‘model’ colleges of the province on the initiative of then higher education secretary Ahad Cheema. The government had also allocated Rs1 billion to develop infrastructure and hire teachers from the open market for market-oriented subjects, but the funds remained unutilised, hence lapsed. However, the programme hit a snag while finalising modalities about the courses and students’ assessment for the award of degrees.

The HEC’s 2016 direction also failed to move public sector universities and Punjab higher education department to meet the modern day requirements. There was no follow-up either from the HEC or the Punjab government to devise a clear plan to implement the decision.

“The Punjab higher education department has no means to run the BS (Honours) programme in its colleges across the province as the shift in programme requires at least doubling the infrastructure and hiring a large number of teachers from the open market,” a source in the department, who is privy to the development, told Dawn.

“We need to develop the capacity of the faculty and hire subject specialists for running the BS programme,” a senior official in the department said, adding: “The two-year degree programme will continue till availability of resources.”

However, to deal with the HEC’s direction, a senior official of the department said, the higher education department could launch associate degree programmes in public sector colleges and offer graduates to join the BS (Honours) programmes in its third year -- fifth semester -- after their two-year degree ends.

Since hundreds and thousands of students had sought admissions to the two-year BA/BSc programmes in public sector colleges in 2018 against the HEC direction, the universities are reportedly looking for a way to tackle any possible crisis.

University of Punjab Registrar Prof Khalid Khan said the university was in the middle of forming a committee to review the directions of the HEC and rescue students being affected.

Explaining another dimension of the BS (Honours) programme, the registrar said the HEC had recently provided a list of 25 subjects and asked the university to develop their syllabus. The university would take the matter to its Academic Council for approval and subsequently start developing courses. “The four-year BS programme is already under way in 11 PU-affiliated colleges,” he said and added that the administration had constituted a committee to implement the semester system in the remaining colleges.

He said the PU’s criteria for the semester system being followed in the 11 colleges allocated 40 per cent marks to the class teacher on account of assignments and mid-term examinations, while the PU held the remaining 60pc to assess respective candidates.

Answering a question, Prof Khan said the students who sought admissions to the BA/BSc degree in 2019 could be adjusted in the BS programme and allowed to join its fifth semester, but it would require resources to implement this proposal.

When contacted, an HEC official said the commission, considering constraints, allowed varsities to continue the two-year BA/BSc students till 2020 – those admitted in 2018.

The official said the commission had also suggested a solution for future students of the two-year BA/BSc degree, who would be allowed to get admission to the third year (fifth semester) of the four-year BS programme after completion of 15 to 18 credit hours of BS-compatible courses as prescribed by the commission and the affiliated university.

He said universities should offer an associate degree to its affiliated colleges in market-driven subjects instead of the two-year BA/BSc programme for students with 12 years of prior academic experience. “Students holding the associate degrees will be able to continue their education by getting admission to the fifth semester of the BS programme after fulfilling additional entry requirements,” the HEC official said.

Since students are confused about their fate regarding admissions to the competitive examinations in the wake of non-availability of a degree recognising 14 years of education, Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Chairman retired Lt Gen Maqsood Ahmed told Dawn that the government would have to reset the rules for applying for the PPSC examination after 14 years of education were not recognised.

“The commission’s job is to conduct examination as per the criteria prepared by the employer department,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2019