KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has expressed resentment towards public-sector universities of the province for not withdrawing the 14-year associate bachelor’s degree programs despite a court order and directed them to discontinue it.

A single-judge bench headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar said that apart from Karachi University, other public-sector universities had not honoured the earlier order of the SHC regarding 16-year education programme based on the Higher Education Commission recommendation as the order was aimed at making such degrees acceptable at the national and international levels.

When the bench took up the matter for hearing, the secretary of board and universities as well as KU registrar filed reports. The bench said that the other universities were in complete defiance of its earlier order to close 14-year associate degree programs.

“Accordingly, all public universities shall publish disclaimer that associate degree is not equivalent to BSc, B.Com and B.A (16 years). Hence, they shall not enroll/admit from 2022 and discontinue associate bachelor degree programs”, the bench in its order said.

At this juncture, the secretary of colleges said that they would ask universities to order 60 colleges to impart 16 years based degree programs as they have all requirements and facilities of different subjects.

Thus, the bench directed the board and universities secretary to ensure temporary affiliation within 15 days by the universities while regional directors and secretary of colleges must take all efforts to make it practical.

The secretary schools submitted that in the light of earlier order of the bench, the compulsory education council had been notified.

Referring to its earlier order about suspension of affiliation fees imposed by the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi, the bench explained that the order was applicable to all boards of higher secondary schools and directed the secretary of boards to ensure the implementation of the order.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2021