ISLAMABAD: Managements of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) colleges are not in a position to increase the numbers of seats in order to admit the extra students, who passed their matric and intermediate examinations under the Promotion Examination Policy 2021.

“This year students got unprecedented numbers, full and high marks. So we are unable to accommodate all passed students. We will give admissions to students in accordance with their marks and availability of seats,” the principal of a college said.

Last year, he said, students who got 80pc marks in matric managed to get admission in pre-medical in the morning session. But I guess, this year, such students will be given admission in the evening session. Principals are in a fix this year as a large number of students have scored more than 95pc.

However, a spokesperson for FDE, Abdul Waheed, said colleges will offer admissions in the first year and in BS programmes on the basis of marks.

Candidates with less than 50pc marks may not be entertained as per set criteria

“Keeping in view the number of seats, we will accommodate students in accordance with their marks,” he said and added that in case two candidates have the same marks the college will prefer the one who lives near the college.

Whereas, a majority of universities of Islamabad have already offered admissions in BS programmes on the basis of matriculation results and performance of students in entry tests.

Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has already offered admissions for the upcoming semester on the basis of marks obtained by students in matric and in the entrance tests.

“We are going to offer admissions in the BS programme on the basis of marks obtained by students in their matric class and in entry tests. While finalising merit, we did not consider the results of FSc. We offered admissions a month before the results were announced,” said QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali.

He said other universities did the same thing, adding FDE is an independent organisation and will offer admissions in accordance with its own rules and regulations.

This year, the federal government in consultation with provinces introduced a promotion policy due to the pandemic under which students were required to take examinations of optional subjects only and on the basis of marks obtained in these subjects, they were given marks for compulsory subjects.

Students who failed had been given additional marks. All students were promoted but technically those who got less than 50pc will be unable to get admissions in universities and colleges as per the criteria of most of the institutions.

After holding a discussion with teachers and heads of various universities, Dawn observed that admission in Islamabad-based universities will not be an issue as students will be judged on marks they scored two years ago; however, admission in colleges may be a problem.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2021