KARACHI, July 31: The admissions process for Class XI in city government colleges and higher secondary schools would start, the latest, by August 10, it was learnt officially.

Sources in the city government’s education department said that arrangements were being finalized to carry out the admissions in a smooth manner, and it was likely that teaching for the first year would commence in the first week of October.

About 687,650 students have been declared to have passed the SSC annual examinations under the Board of Secondary Education this year, which included 47,650 candidates of the science group.

About another 1000 candidates, having passed their examinations from other boards or the Cambridge system, could be added to the number of students who are eligible for admissions to colleges and higher secondary schools, added the source.

Last year, the central admission committee of the government had placed about 64,000 students for admissions to its various colleges and higher secondary schools, out of which 58,000 finalized their admissions.

The District Officer Education (Colleges), Prof Mujib Firoze told Dawn that the capacity for students at first year, like in the past, had been enhanced this year as well, and at present, the capacity was around 72,000.

As students also like to take admissions in private colleges,

I don’t think that there would (be) problems for seats in government institutions, he added.

He said that admissions brochures would be ready within a period, while negotiations with private firms regarding preparation of merit and placement lists for admissions had also been finalized.

Admissions would commence in the first week of August, he added, saying that a centralized admission committee had already been formed.

There is no major shift from last years practice. Students would be required to purchase the admission brochure from designated bank branches and submit it back to the banks within a prescribed period.

The number of banks dealing with admission cases had been increase upto 32 this year, said Prof Feroze.

He said that prior to submitting the admission forms to banks, students, if they desired, could seek help for the correct filling of forms from ”Facilitation and Guidance Centres” to be set up at different places with the commencement of the admissions process.

Sources said that scrutiny centres had also been planned, where admission forms collected by banks would be brought for review and placement to the computer section for the preparation of a merit list.

This year, in addition to copies of mark sheets, students would also be required to submit the photocopy of their admit cards, so that any minor problem in the forms could be sorted out by the admission committee, without wasting time, added the source.