By Khalid Khattak
Major structural changes in the Punjab University’s BA/BSc and MA/MSc examinations are in the offing and are likely to be applied to those candidates who will appear in these exams from varsity’s affiliated colleges or privately from this year.These changes include reorganisation of aggregate system of marking, allowing those candidates of BA/BSc for supplementary exam who fail in two papers and introduction of supplementary exam at MA/MSc level.It is important to mention here that students and teachers have been criticising the PU administration for introducing 45 per cent of aggregate at MA/MSc level a couple of years ago. Under this system, 40 per cent is pass marks of each paper while a candidate has to make 45 per cent total aggregate to pass the exams, which means if a candidate even gets 40 or 41 marks in each of the five papers of MA/MSc, he/she is considered fail.This aggregate system was introduced in 2005 during tenure of VC Lt Gen (Retd) Arshad Mehmood but despite strong resentment from students and teachers, the PU administration could not change it and students continued to suffer. Similarly, students and teachers have been expressing concerns regarding non-availability of an important option for private candidates and those of affiliated colleges of the Punjab University i.e. supplementary exams at MA/MSc level. At present, if a candidate fails in any one subject of MA/MSc exams, he/she has to wait for almost a year to sit in the annual exam, as PU does not offer supplementary exams at this level. Undoubtedly, this has been delaying the youth to start their professional careers, while its worst impact on female students, keeping in view prevailing social norms, could not be ignored. The third major structural change on the cards is allowing all those candidates of BA/BSc exams to sit in supplementary exams who would fail in two subjects. At present, a candidate who fails in only one subject in BA/BSc annual exams is eligible to appear in supplementary exam while all those failing in more than one subject have to appear in annual exam. A senior PU official said keeping in view growing concern of the students and their parents, the university administration was seriously mulling over to bring reforms in the examination system. He said PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran had held several meetings with the Controller of Examinations Zahid Kareem in this connection recently. He further said the supplementary exams at MA/MSc level would also help the university to generate revenue, adding it was too important since universities were facing severe cuts in grants from the government.A consensus has been developed to bring revolutionary changes in the examination system so that candidates might be facilitated to the maximum extent and they might not suffer because of the system, he added.Zahid Kareem talking to The News said there had been deliberations on several important and possible changes in exams at BA/BSc and MA/MSc level. He said issues like aggregate system and supplementary exams would soon be placed before the academic council for final approval.
Source: The News International
Monday, February 02, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment