KARACHI, Dec 24: Expressing satisfaction over the arrangements made for IT education in colleges, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan has urged the concerned authorities to ensure that the examinations of IT subject at the intermediate level are conducted during the current session.

Reacting to the news reports about confusion over the conduct of HSC IT paper (theory and practical), the Nazim had sought a report from the District Officer Education (colleges), said sources in the city government, adding that the Nazim did not see any reason for deferring the IT examinations at least in the case of students enrolled with the Board of Intermediate Education, Karachi.

The government’s decision to introduce IT as a compulsory subject in colleges and higher secondary education in the province had become a source of controversy in different quarters, particularly those who believed that the existing facilities at the educational institutions were not enough for introduction of such education.

The IT course was devised for the students of Commerce, Humanities, Science and Home Economics faculties last year and all those who were admitted to the first-year classes were charged Rs1,000 each in addition to the routine fees, as the government was unable to provide any seed money or matching amount for the purpose.

In the wake of students and teachers’ concern and non-availability of practical education facilities for the proper dissemination of knowledge in the subject, the government decided to reduce the IT fee by Rs500 for the academic year 2002-2003. However, still the government has no updated data about computers and IT laboratories in higher secondary schools and colleges in many parts of the province.

Based on the report of the DOE (colleges), in a communication to the education secretary, the City Nazim has said that computer laboratories are available in 87 colleges, where competent and qualified teachers have been conducting theory and practical classes.

He maintained that the remaining three colleges had very small enrolment, but were imparting theory education on IT concepts, while arrangements were under way so that the students could have their practical classes in the nearby colleges. Labs could not be established in the three colleges due to paucity of fund, he added.

“The implementation was made possible through a meagre annual fee of Rs1,000 which was further reduced to Rs500 by the city government, out of this amount, he added, computer labs were established and teachers were hired and now theory classes are going on successfully in all the colleges.”

He pointed out to the education secretary that he was satisfied with the DOE’s report and the implementation proposals to conduct the examinations and he did not see any reason why examinations of IT concepts should not be conducted at intermediate level from this academic session.

COMMITTEE FORMED: The government of Sindh has constituted a committee to look into the matter pertaining to the existing arrangements for promotion of IT education, it was learnt officially on Tuesday.