Girls performances in Higher education

Girls outnumbered boys in degree, higher classes
Lahore, Dec 06: Girls have outnumbered boys in the postgraduate education in our universities and graduate colleges. The strength of girls in BA, BSc, and MA, MSc, was three times higher than the boys.

There were 16,462 girls and only 8,280 boys in postgraduate classes in 2007-08. This fact was revealed at a study conducted by Education Executive Club (EEC), which says that there were 2.88 lakh boys and only 3.53 lakh girls in the postgraduate classes in our degree colleges in the year 2007-08 in urban areas.

As many as 5,427 girls secured admission as compared to 3,683 boys in MSc, in session 2007-08. In MA about 10,035 girls and 4,597 boys were registered as regular students.

In medical education too, girls have outnumbered boys. As compared to 25.3 lakh boys who took admission in medical colleges in the country in 2009, as many as 42.6 lakh girls secured the admission. The ratio of girls in IT and computer science education was almost equal.

However, the girls' ratio in engineering colleges and universities was behind the boys. The major reason behind increase is raise in female population and the desire among the women for higher education at universities and degree colleges, said an ECC member Prof M Sharif Malik.

The other reason why boys are lagging behind in postgraduate education was the fact that the drop out ratio of boys was also higher in secondary, Intermediate and BA, BSc, level after which they quit the education and settle in jobs or business.

The girls who pass through these levels prefer to secure postgraduate education. Almost all degree colleges including the boys' colleges, which cater the postgraduate classes in Science & Arts provide admission to girls.

The girls have outnumbered in postgraduate colleges in MAO College and some other colleges in the City. Almost all girls' colleges in the City cater the MA, MSc classes in five to 7 subjects. All these disciplines are run under the annual system of exam conducted by the University of the Punjab to which these colleges are affiliated.

The girls have also outnumbered boys in private colleges and universities while their ratio is much higher in the list of external candidates in BA and MA, examinations of the Punjab University. The girls are also shining in the board and university examinations.

A fair number of positions were secured by girls in the secondary school and intermediate examinations of the board while all positions in BA, BSc, of the Punjab University annual examination 2009 were secured by girls. The nation

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BCom private students registeration
Lahore: The representatives of various private commerce colleges have expressing resentment against the Punjab University's decision to allow private candidates to register for its BCom programme.

The concern was highlighted during a press conference held under the banner of the Private Colleges Association Pakistan at the Lahore Press Club on Saturday.

The association's President Chaudhry Arshad, Secretary Prof Amanullah, Executive Member Sajjad Haider and other office-bearers spoke on the occasion and criticised the PU for the decision. Sajjad Haider said that earlier only regular students of private and public colleges were allowed to register for BCom programme of the PU, however, now any private student could go for the programme.

He said the decision had caused worry among the private colleges and their students. He said since BCom was a professional degree programme, it would be unjust to register students without proper coaching and training and added that the decision would further promote academy culture, rote learning, affecting the standard of higher education.

Sajjad Haider said more than 200 colleges were affiliated with the PU and the move would have adverse effects on teachers and other staff attached with these colleges. He said the decision was taken on the plea of high fees and monopolisation of commerce education.

"However we believe the PU administration should have taken steps to control fee of colleges," he said, adding: "There are only a few colleges which charged hefty fee for this programme."

The private colleges' representatives claimed that the matter was not placed before the relevant bodies at the PU before the final decision while private colleges, which were major stakeholders, were also not consulted.

However, talking to The News, PU Affiliation Committee's Chairman Prof Dr Hafiz Muhammad Iqbal said the decision was taken by the university's supreme body, i.e. syndicate, in larger interest of students. He said besides high fee structure, a number of other issues were also involved which prompted the PU to allow private candidates to register for BCom programme. He said in most of the cases, poor students were exploited by private colleges as they (the students) could not appear in examination as private candidates.

"The students had to bear heavy fees to be able to sit in exams," he said and added that the PU Affiliation Committee also found that some of the private colleges were minting money only by enrolling students for BCom programme. "These colleges only accommodate students who study at their own but needed to be enrolled at any of the PU affiliated colleges," he maintained.

Prof Hafiz Muhammad Iqbal said that with the exception of a few private commerce colleges, most of them did not have required infrastructure and qualified faculty, adding that in some cases, same faculty was shifted to other colleges during inspections by the PU Affiliation Committee.

Agreeing that BCom was a professional degree, Prof Iqbal said it did not involve practical work and was purely based on paper-pencil test. To a question, he said the PU would face financial loss in terms of losing affiliation fee, etc but it could not compromise the larger interest of students.

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PU passed resolution against IJT
Lahore: The Punjab University (PU) teachers in a Disciplinary Action Committee meeting Saturday unanimously passed a resolution against Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT).

According to a press statement issued here, the resolution strongly condemned the IJT activists for using abusive language and displaying unethical banners against Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran and Disciplinary Action Committee Chairman Prof Dr Iftikhar Hussain Baloch outside the Lahore Press Club.

The meeting showed commitment that the committee would carry unbiased decisions on the complaints against students under the university rules and accepted norms of justice.

Those who were present in the meeting included Committee member and Academic Staff Association chairman Dr Saeed Ahmad Nagra, member Prof Dr Rukhsana Bajwa, secretary and advisor Students Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhry and other faculty members.

Meanwhile, according to IJT press statement, an important meeting of Jamiat was held at PU Hostel No 7 on Saturday which discussed various issues including expulsion of students, students' problems, construction of new hostels and alleged PU campaign against IJT.

It was decided that a campaign would be launched from December 7 to highlight studentsí concerns over increasing fee, transportation problems, expulsion of students, etc.

The meeting also expressed concerns over delay in formation of new Disciplinary Committee by the PU administration.

PU chapter IJT nazim Qaisar Sharif who chaired the meeting alleged that controversial persons were part of the committee at present.

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PU result distinction
Lahore: Punjab University College of Art and Design students have won first and second positions in a talent competition and painting exhibition organised by The Ummeed Foundation Trust at Alhamra Art Gallery. The news

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Female students protest FJMC affiliation
Lahore: A large number of female students of the Fatima Jinnah Medical College (FJMC) on Saturday took out a rally against the government's decision of affiliating their college with the University of Health Sciences (UHS).

The participants of the rally gathered at the FJMC and went through Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, chanting slogans against the decision and demanding its immediate withdrawal. Hoisting banners and placards, inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, they reached the Punjab Assembly Building at Faisal Chowk where they staged a protest demonstration.

On the occasion, they pointed out that apart from the local, female students from about 23 countries were getting education in the college. "It seems the government has made the decision in haste," they said and alleged that there were some vested interests of the bureaucracy behind it. They demanded the government to revert the decision and let the college affiliated with the Punjab University in the best interest of the students.

Meanwhile, the Academic Council of the FJMC strongly condemned the decision. Foreigner students in general and Iranian in particular expressed strong reservations over the decision, pleading that the UHS was not recognised in their country.

Meanwhile, the Association of Fatima Jinnah Old Graduates (AFJOG) also denounced the decision of affiliation and termed it a well-hatched conspiracy. In an emergent meeting, the participants expressed their astonishment as to why, the FJMC affiliated with the 150-year old Punjab University, was affiliated to a university that was founded just four years ago. They appealed to Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif to help cancel the affiliation of the FJMC with the UHS or give it the status of a women medical university.

When talked to Principal of FJMC, Dr Majid Ch said that the FJMC was made by Quaid-e-Azam after the name of his sister Fatima Jinnah. "It is the first ever female medical college of the World imparting education to the female students of 23 countries of the world." He was of the view that the college should be converted into varsity rather than affiliating it to the newly-born UHS." The nation

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