Computer education centres take advantage of post-exam season

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: TAKING full advantage of the post-examination season, different computer education centres as well as tuition centres have started offering short courses to attract maximum number of students who are now free after matriculation and intermediate examinations. The advertisement campaign by such institutes is also in full swing and, in this connection, special packages are being offered to the students. Different colourful banners, hoardings and posters can be seen in almost all localities of the provincial metropolis in this regard. Somewhere a short course in English language is being offered free of cost with a course in computer. Some institutes are offering short computer courses as free with other paid programme. Talking to The News, a number of students, their parents and people from different walks of life expressed mixed response to the prevailing trend of short courses offered for students in post-examination season. Some termed it a minting-money-season for computer centres and tuition centres while others termed it a healthy engagement for those who remain free after exams. A student, Ali, said he had joined a computer centre soon after his matriculation (composite) examination completed. He was of the view that he joined a short course in Computer Applications because he did not want to sit idle at home. “I have not studied computer as a subject”, he said adding “This is certainly a good time to learn something about computer”. No one can deny the importance of computer education, he said adding the course he opted would be helpful in his future life. Kashif Jamil, another student, said it was certainly a tough job to find a good and affordable institute for short course adding massive advertisements had almost confused him. Another student, Usman, said he had joined a computer centre adding he had also been offered English language course as an additional programme without any fee. He said post-exam season provided a good opportunity to students to learn things apart from their regular studies. He further said exam results would be announced after a couple of months adding it was better to utilize free-time instead of doing nothing. Naeem, another student, said instead of registering for any short course of computer or English language, he had joined an academy to study course of intermediate. He was of the view that students should prepare for next classes instead of wasting their precious time in short courses being offered these days. “I was a student of matriculation (science subjects) and had studied computer as a subject”, he said adding “I am confident of passing my matric exam, therefore, I am studying course of FSc Pre-Engineering these days”. Farrukh, father of a student, however, said it was unfortunate that most of the institutions were fleecing innocent students and their parents in the name of short courses. “Nothing practical is taught to the students”, he said adding “I am personally against such courses as this is merely a loss of time and money”.

The News International

Friday, 27 June 2008

Students perturbed over rising education costs

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: The education sector is no exception to being affected by the unprecedented inflation as public sector universities have started increasing tuition fee and other charges. In a recent meeting, the Government College University syndicate approved an increase in tuition fee of all the programmes for the upcoming academic session. It is learnt that all the newcomers will have to pay around 12 percent extra tuition fee. Sources say, initially, the proposal floated in the meeting aimed at increasing the tuition fee for all the programmes by 15 percent, but there was a consensus on 12 percent increase. Talking to The News, a senior GCU official said the varsity had not increased the tuition fee during the last four years, adding the insurmountable inflation was the main cause behind the increase. A series of protests were held at the Kinnaird College (KC) recently when the college authorities started charging fee according to the revised fee structure. Though, the fee of all the programmes had been increased, the increase in the fee of the college’s BBA programme was so high as the college students had to protest against the decision. The Punjab University’s Finance and Planning Committee decided to enhance the examination and registration fee by 15 per cent in a meeting held last week. Reportedly, the PU administration has not increased tuition and admission fee for the on-campus, regular students and the decision, subject to the approval of the syndicate, would apply only to the private students.It may be mentioned here that thousands of students appear in BA/BSc, MA/MSc and other examinations conducted by the Punjab University every year. At present, the PU is charging Rs 1200 as registration fee while the examination fee varies from programme to programme.The exam fee for BA is Rs 1700, for BSc Rs 2100, for MA Part-I and Part-II Rs 2025 each and for MSc Part-I and Part-II Rs 2225 each. Double fees are also charged if a candidate fails to deposit his/her dues for registration and exams before the deadline.Talking to The News, a large number of students and their parents expressed concern over the increasing fees of the public sector institutions, saying the government must intervene to provide relief to the inflation-stricken poor. Azeem, a student, said the PU was already collecting a handsome amount through registration and exam fees, adding the recent increase, if approved by the varsity’s syndicate, would add to the miseries of the students. Zaheer Ahmed, the father of a student, said the government was providing support of million of rupees to the public sector universities, adding it must ensure check on the fee structure as well.However, a senior PU official said the decision to increase the exam and registration fees was taken out of necessity, adding the increasing inflation was the main cause behind the increase. “The prices of paper have increased while the transportation has also become costly”, he said, adding “the remuneration for those involved in script marking would also be increased.”The official said grants for the public sector universities had also been reduced by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). “In such circumstance it was impossible to maintain the registration and exam fee structure”, he added.

Source: The News International

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Students resent directive to prepare theses anew

By Our Correspondent

LAHORE: A CONTROVERSY has erupted over theses of final semester students of the Lahore College for Women University’s Design and Visual Arts Department as students have been told by the vice chancellor to prepare their theses for display once again.The students, however, are reluctant to repeat the exercise on the plea it would put extra financial burden on their parents and a waste of time and hard work, already put in this connection.In this regard, the students of Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) who are studying Graphic Designing as major and their parents also met with the LCWU VC Prof Dr Bushra Mateen on Monday. It is learnt that the VC did not change her decision and asked students to prepare their theses once again.The aggrieved students including Fatima Qayyum, Quratulain, Alvina Malik, Namra Kaleem, Farwa Batool, Sanya Safdar, Fiza Jabeen, Atiya Khadim, Zahra Rasool, Anush Ali, Sumbel Rauf and Abira Shafiq told reporters that their theses work was displayed at Al Hamra Art Gallery recently. They added that this fact was not being recognised by the VC owing to which they had been asked to repeat. They said their external examiners had also awarded them marks after examining their theses display at the exhibition. However, the same was not being recognized either, they added.They said they had worked hard and spent a lot of money in order to prepare their theses for display. To repeat the same would be quite difficult for them, they added. They said it could also affect positions of the students. They said it was strange that the theses display, which was organised by their department at Al Hamra Art Gallery, was not being recognised by the VC. They said that even LCWU Registrar Shaista Wyne was present at the time of inauguration of the display. When contacted in this regard, LCWU VC Dr Bushra Mateen refused to comment while department’s head was not available for comments.

The News International
Tuesday, June 24, 2008.

Students drinking polluted water

By Ali Raza

LAHORE: Health of hundred of students is at risk as drinking water in four different schools and a college contained bacterial contamination and declared unfit for human consumption by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA)Some months back Punjab Environmental Protection Department (EPD) in a random sampling detected bacterial contamination in different teaching hospitals and colleges included King Edward Medical College, Mayo Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Fatimah Jinnah Medical College, Jinnah Hospital, Allama Iqbal Medical Colleges, Sheikh Zaid Hospital, Kinnaird College University, Lahore College Women University, APWA College, Services Hospital, New Kashmir Girls High School and Government Degree College for Women in Kot Khwaja Saeed.Polluted drinking water has already become a serious threat to Lahorites as majority of localities in the provincial capital are getting water with bacterial contamination resulting in spread of different diseases especially of stomach. Water contamination is also resulting in illnesses such as diarrhea, typhoid, intestinal worms and hepatitis among the students and teachers of these colleges as well as among the patients and their attendants.WASA officials said the common bacterial contamination found in the defective samples was the presence of Coliform Bacteria, which according to the WHO standards should be 0 in 100 ml. Officials said presence of Coliform Bacteria in water is a clear indicator that sewer water is mixed in the water distribution system.Coliform Bacteria are abundant in feces of warm-blooded animals. In most instances, Coliforms themselves are not the cause of sickness, but they are easy to culture and their presence is used to indicate that other pathogenic organisms of fecal origin may be present. Fecal pathogens include bacteria, viruses, protozoa or parasites.Following the increasing complaints of the masses regarding water contamination, WASA recently collected tap water samples from different areas of the city. During the random sampling, WASA detected water contamination in various localities including five samples from schools and a college.Two samples were collected from Dawn Public School, Saeed Park, Shahdara and both were found highly contaminated. The only sample of Govt Boys High School, Shahdara was found contaminated. The sample collected from Laureate Lahore Senior School 152, Ali Block, New Garden Town was also found contaminated.The water sample taken from the tap of the kitchen of Fast College, Faisal Town was also found highly contaminated while the sample collected from the tap of left side of the Main Gate of the Fast College, Car Parking, Faisal Town was also found contaminated.Rest of the samples found contaminated are collected from Tap R/O Muhammad Younas Mughal H # 7, Main Road Qazi Park, Shahdara, Tap H # 1082, CII, China Scheme, Tap H # 2, S # 106, Qasir Town, Shahdara, Tap H # 15, S # 2S, Saeed Park, Shahdara, Tap H # 142, S # 98, Qasim Park, Shahdara, P.S.P. Qaisar Town, Shahdara, Tap H # 125, Block DII, Gulshan Ravi, Tap H # 1152, S # 25, Madina Colony, Gulshan Ravi, Tap H # 6, S # 25, Madina Colony, Gulshan Ravi, Tap H # 6, DI, Gulshan Ravi, Tap H # 41-A, Ali Block, New Garden Town, Tap H # 4, Akbar Street, Javen Hana, New Garden Town, Tap H # 71, Ali Block, New Garden Town, Tap H#142, Habib Ullah Road,Garhi Shahu, Tap H # 86, Kachi Abadi, Habib Ullah Road, Tap H # 11, S # 13, Mohammad Nagar, Tap Moneeb Autos Workshop, Mohammad Nagar, Tap H # 307, S # 4, Marzi Pura, Tap H # 36, S # 2B, Saeed Park, Shahdara, Tap H # 29, S # 2, Saeed Park, Shahdara, Tap H # 6, S # 9, Bilal Gunj and Tap Office Union Concil District Govt.This news is published in The News on May 30, 2008.

Courtesy: pollutedlahore.blogspot.com

Fuel shortage forces PU to stop bus service

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: THE shortage of diesel in the market has forced the Punjab University to suspend its bus service for students.Nonetheless the university administration is reluctant to buy diesel available on inflated prices as it would create problems during annual audit, say those who are at the helm. The suspension of bus service by the Punjab University (PU) has been causing great troubles to the students as most of them are now solely dependant on public transport.It is learnt that similar problem of diesel’s shortage was being faced by other universities which are planning to cut the number of buses being used to pick and drop students.The Punjab University which has the largest fleet of buses among public sector universities of the metropolis is, at the moment, providing only shuttle service to its students between varsity’s Old Campus and New Campus. While service to pick and drop PU students from different localities of the city has been suspended by the university administration for the last two days.The total strength of PU students is over 25,000 while according to an estimate over 15,000 students use varsity’s transport service on daily basis to reach both campuses from various areas of the city.Talking to The News, a number of students expressed concern over suspension of PU bus service and criticised the government for not addressing the issue of fuel shortage on priority basis. Mehwish, a student, said female students were worst hit by the suspension of varsity’s bus service adding that certainly no one could blame PU administration for this. “It is quite difficult for a female student to use public transport these days”, she said adding, “The massive rush on roads adds to their miseries.”Another student said it was quite strange to note that PU did not have a single CNG-bus. He said the situation would have been different provided university had such buses.He suggested that universities should induct CNG-buses in their fleet. He said it would not only reduce environmental issues but would also help reducing expenditures spent on fuel.When contacted, PU Registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan said that bus service on various routes had to be suspended because of shortage of diesel. He said the service would be resumed as soon as availability of diesel was ensured. He said the university would certainly plan to convert maximum number of its buses on CNG.Talking to The News, PU Resident Officer (RO-I) Dr Bashir Ahmed said the university was facing shortage of diesel for its buses owing to which only shuttle service was being provided to the students. He said the shuttle service was earlier provided after every half an hour from the varsity’s Old and New Campus but now it was being offered after a delay of one hour.He said students as well as their parents had been informed that some routes would not be operational for some time because of shortage of diesel.Dr Bashir said total consumption of fuel by the PU buses was over 3,000 liters per day. He said the university could not purchase diesel on inflated prices as it would lead to audit objections.

Students urge govt to scrap self-finance scheme

Welcome abolition of self-finance in medical colleges

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: THE recent announcement of Punjab Chief Minister regarding abolition of self-finance scheme for admission to the medical colleges has given hope to hundreds of prospective students of engineering, pharmacy and other demand driven disciplines.They are of the view that the government should ensure merit based admission in all disciplines without any discrimination. They believe self-finance scheme for admissions in engineering, other professional studies and even in general education was also depriving deserving students as were being deprived in medical colleges.Talking to The News, a number of students welcomed the recent decision regarding abolition self-finance scheme for admission to medical colleges of the province. Nonetheless they demanded the government to abolish such schemes from all the institutions offering professional as well as general education.Fahad, a student, said admission on self-finance basis should be abolished from all the public sector colleges and universities so that admission and educational facilities could be provided only to intelligent and deserving students. He was of the view that discipline of engineering and pharmacy were as important as that of medical. He said students now hoped that the government would also make efforts to eliminate self-finance schemes from other colleges and universities especially those offering professional education. Another student, Bilal, said seats reserved for self finance quota should be merged with merit seats so that more and more talented students could avail the opportunity to study at public sector institutions. He said poor but talented students could not afford education in private sector institutions because these were costly as compared to public sector institutions.According to the Punjab University (PU) website a student seeking admission on self-finance basis has to pay Rs 2, 50,000 for admission in, any one of, pharmacy, architecture and engineering programme of the university whereas Rs 200,000 are charged from a student seeking admission in BBA (Hons) in Banking and Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, MBA, BCom and MCom etc under the said scheme.Similarly, the Government College University (GCU), Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), Kinnaird College and many other public sector colleges and universities of the province offer admission on self finance basis. However, those who are at the helm are very critical of the emerging situation saying self-finance scheme for admission was introduced by the government for resource generation adding seats on financial basis were normally over and above the merit seats.Talking to The News, vice-chancellors (VCs) of various public sector universities said universities were ready to drop the self-finance scheme provided that government ensured matching grants as resource generation was certainly a tough job. “All the universities do not conduct examinations or grant affiliations like the Punjab University”, said one of the VCs, on condition of anonymity, adding these exercises were certainly sources of revenue. “But this is not the case with all the universities,” he said adding that admissions on self-finance basis were certainly helping institutions generate their resources.He said if the government ensured provision of appropriate funding for universities, public sector institutions would not hesitate to abolish self finance scheme for admission in all the disciplines.

Source: The News International
Monday, June 16, 2008

DHA schools deny admission to outsiders

Parents required to submit original allotment letters,tenancy agreements to prove residence in DHA

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: The administration of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) has allegedly banned the admission of non-residents’ children to the schools run by the authority, The News has learnt.A number of parents expressed their concern over the ban terming it tantamount to infringement on the basic human rights. They said the administration had, in fact, adopted an unfair policy by restricting access of the non-DHA children to its schools, adding the schools should be open to all the children without any discrimination. An aggrieved parent while talking to The News said, after the ban, the parents seeking their children’s admissions to the DHA schools were required to provide original allotment letters or original tenancy agreements to prove their residence in DHA. Shahid, the parent of a child, said the new policy was affecting a large number of people of the DHA surrounding localities as their children were being denied admissions to DHA run schools. “The residents of Gulberg, Cantt and other localities prefer to send their children to DHA schools because of quality education being offered by the institutes”, he said adding “However, the new policy has disappointed and deprived them of the facility”.Shafiq, another citizen affected by the ban, expressed his apprehensions regarding the new admission policy saying it would promote corruption as some people might arrange fake tenancy agreements to prove their residence in the Defence Housing Authority in order to secure their children’s admission to the DHA-run- schools. “Such issues are likely to be witnessed in future if DHA does not reverse the policy”, he said, demanding the DHA authorities to immediately withdrawal the decision. “Is DHA out of Pakistan?” asked Sadia, a mother of two, saying it was unfortunate that children of non-DHA residents were being given the least priority for admissions to the DHA-run schools. “If things go on like this, the non-DHA residents may have to provide a visa for entry in the DHA in future”, she commented. It has been learnt by The News that around five educational institutions are currently operating in the DHA under the control of its administration where a large number of students, both from within and outside the DHA, are getting education.When contacted, spokesperson DHA, Tajamul Hussain, said the DHA residents had been complaining that their children could not get admission to the Authority’s schools, adding a policy had recently been introduced according to which children of the residents would be given first priority for admission. He said, earlier, the DHA schools had been following open policy, adding, from the new academic session, the schools would follow new policy according to which only children of the DHA residents would be given admission on priority basis. He further said non-DHA residents were not being denied admission, adding, however, they were on the second priority. DHA Director Education Col (r) K S Babar, however, denied introduction of any new policy in connection with the admissions to the DHA schools. He said DHA residents had been given priority, adding children of the non-DHA residents had also been granted admission since long.

Source: The News International
Sunday, 13 June, 2008

Rs 5b for IT labs at govt schools

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: THE Punjab government will allocate around Rs 5 billion in budget 2008-09 for the establishment of computer labs in government high and higher secondary schools of the province.With the addition of allocation for the establishment of computer laboratories, the total allocations for education sector in the budget 2008-09 would be over Rs 27 billion, sources dealing with the budget proposals informed The News.They said the allocations for the computer education project would be reflected in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) in the upcoming budget. The said the project was not in budgetary proposals forwarded by the education department earlier, adding efforts in that connection were made following the announcement by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in which he had said over 4000 public schools would be given facilities to impart computer education in the near future. The announcement regarding the provision of computer education in all the high and higher secondary schools of Punjab was made by Shahbaz Sharif in his maiden speech after being elected as CM Punjab on June 8. He had also maintained that the judiciary, the health and the education sectors would be among top priorities of his government.Sources in the school education department said that the CM had vowed to provide opportunities of computer education to students of all high and higher secondary schools of the province during the upcoming fiscal year. “For this purpose IT labs would be established in around 4500 high and higher secondary schools of the province”, they said. “There are over 5000 high and higher secondary schools in Punjab”, they said, adding “Over 512 have already been provided the facilities of computers and IT labs”.They said the project regarding the establishment of IT labs in the government high and higher secondary schools was initiated in 2004 with support of the federal government. “Since then, IT labs have been establishment in over 500 schools of Punjab”, they said, adding “The rest of the schools were still deprived of the facility”. An official of school education department said the establishment of computer labs in around 4500 schools in one year would be a challenging task, adding, however, it was not impossible provided there was a vision. “The project earlier could not be completed because of funding issues in the past”, he added. Talking about School Education budgetary allocations in 2008-09 ADP, he said, earlier, over Rs 10 billion were proposed in school education adding, with the addition of computer education project, the total proposed allocation for the department would be over Rs 16 billion.When contacted, a senior officer of Punjab School Education Department, seeking anonymity, confirmed the proposed budgetary allocation for computer education. He said the special announcement in that regard would be made in the upcoming budget. He said school education was top priority of the new government, adding maximum allocations were likely to be made for the school education department in budget 2008-09.

Source: The News International
Friday, June 13, 2008

Education depts finalise Rs 22b budgetary proposals

Friday, June 06, 2008

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: VARIOUS departments in the education sector have forwarded budgetary proposals worth Rs 22 billion in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) 2008-09 in the upcoming budget, The News has learnt.According to sources, a major chunk of proposed allocation - over Rs 20 billion - had been proposed by the Punjab School Education Department and the Higher Education Department while rest of the allocation in the budget has been proposed by other departments, including Punjab Special Education Department and Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Department.The Punjab government had allocated Rs 21.480 billion for education sector in the ADP 2007-08, registering an increase of 72 per cent as compared to the budgetary allocation for 2006-07.Sources in the Punjab Education Department, which has recently been bifurcated into the School Education department and the Higher Education department, have finalized budget proposals.According to the sources, the School Education Department has proposed around Rs 10 billion budget adding almost similar allocations were being proposed by the Higher Education Department. Regular meetings were being held with the Planning and Development (PD) Department these days.Sources in the Special Education Department said the department had proposed around Rs 1 billion allocations but the PD had imposed cuts on these proposals. It is also learnt that the Literacy Department had also proposed around Rs 1 billion budgetary allocation.Senior officials of departments in the education sector, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the PD had been imposing cuts on the proposed allocations forwarded by various departments adding meetings to finalise the budgetary proposals were being held in this connection almost on a daily basis. They said various schemes, introduced in the ADP 2007-08 which could not be initiated during the whole last year would be included in the upcoming annual development plan.The sources revealed that various schemes for the higher education for the year 2007-08 including internal merit scholarships for professional colleges in Punjab, establishment of public library at Kamalia, Toba Tak Singh, college teachers training, establishment of Government Girls’ Degree College Shahdra, Marghazar Colony Lahore, Khanewal, Sialkot and Chakwal and establishment of Boys Degree Colleges at Gujrat, Multan, Jhang and Shalimar Town Lahore could not be initiated and these schemes would be included in the ADP 2008-09.When contacted, Higher Education Department’s Deputy Director (Planning) Iftikhar Hassan Butt said some schemes regarding establishment of new colleges could not be initiated due to non availability of land. He said majority of the schemes had been approved and would be started soon. A scheme regarding college teachers training could not be started in 2007-08 and it would be included in 2008-09 ADP. He said around 85 percent of the previous budgetary allocation had been used so far.According to the sources, a number of schemes from the school side could not be started during the previous fiscal year and would be included in the upcoming ADP. Prominent among these schemes are renovation of Government Central Model High School, Lower Mall and provision of building for the Punjab Examination Commission. They said both the schemes had been included in the ADP 2008-09.It is learnt that a number of these schemes related to the Literacy and Non Formal Basic Education Department included in the ADP 2007-08 could not be started during the ongoing fiscal year about to end soon and these schemes had been included in the next ADP.It is learnt that the Special Education Department had started almost all the schemes including nutrition programme for students of special education, provision of teaching aids to students, establishment of a computer lab and recourse and guidance center at Lahore, provision of first aid kits to the institutions of special education in Punjab, establishment of special home for destitute children at Lahore, implementation of special education institutions/ centers in Punjab and some other schemes.The sources said a scheme regarding establishment of labs for the repair and maintenance of equipment/ teaching aids at district level in Punjab was dropped by the secretary of the Special Education Department. When contacted, Secretary Suhail Masood said the scheme was dropped after thorough deliberations. “It would have become a liability for ever because of which the scheme was dropped”, he added.

Source: The News International
Friday, June 06, 2008

People lose faith in state-run schools

Monday, June 09, 2008

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: The general appreciation of quality and standard of education offered at government schools can be gauged well when one comes to know that officers at the helm send their own children to private schools.A strange situation developed during a meeting of Punjab Secretary Schools with the Executive District Officers (Education) of the province last week when the former asked whether anyone of them was sending his children to a government school. Interestingly, and yet unfortunately, silence was the only answer to the query. One wonders why people are drifting towards private schools in Punjab when education is free besides provision of free textbooks to students of the government schools. Understanding the difference between quality and standard of education offered by public and private schools requires no rocket science. The mushroom growth of private schools over the years is a clear evidence of the fact that people are losing their interest in the state-run-schools and switching to affordable private schools in order to provide opportunities of good schooling to their kith and kin. Those who can afford, send their children to elite private schools, especially those which are offering foreign courses like O and A levels. Those who have limited resources also prefer to send their children to private schools. A simple appraisal of our own surroundings can explain how people set priorities as far as education is concerned.Academic circles are very critical of the prevailing trend and believe that situation would have been different provided the government sector schools had emerged as competitors, which at the moment are not with a few exceptions. Some public sector schools do have demand among people who make every effort to get their children admission there but the truth is hundreds of other schools are not taking part in the competition owing to which people see them as a last option only.Educationists and academicians believe that the prevailing situation is certainly disappointing and needs serious attention of authorities concerned. They say it is unfortunate that despite presence of mechanism for teachers’ training and monitoring system, over which millions are being spent, the quality and standard can not be ensured at the government schools. They argue that besides providing missing facilities to government schools and hiring more teachers to overcome the shortage, the authorities should focus to motivate teachers to deliver the best. Academic circles also believe that only a sharp sense of realization among those at the helm can bring about revolutionary changes.

Source: The News International June 09, 2008