Islamabad-The new academic session has begun with the old challenge for students regarding securing admission in model educational institutes of the capital, belying the concerned ministry’s claims of reforms in education sector.

Talking to The Nation on Monday, principal of a model college requesting anonymity said that 20 model colleges are facing immense pressure regarding admission of students in new session. He said that total of 422 educational institutes were working under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and out of the total, 20 institutes – ten for girls and ten for boys – are facing immense pressure for admissions. He said that these 20 model colleges offer admission in new session beginning from grade Prep or 1st.

He said that a committee has also been constituted by the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) for monitoring the admission process but it has further confused the things. “No criteria of admission process have been adopted by the committee and only lists of selected students are being provided to colleges thus putting a question mark on transparency of the process,” the principal added.

He said that each college among the 20 top institutes receive around 180 applications while nearly 2,500 students are accommodated in the new session and rest of the students have to seek admissions in private institutes instead in the remaining public sector colleges due to lack of facilities,” he added.

He said the principals’ role of these colleges has been limited this year which has also affected the admission process and they are unaware of students lists finalised by the committee.

The committee constituted by the Ministry of Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD) compresses Joint Secretary (JS) Alamgitr Ahmad Khan, Director FDE Dr Tariq Massod, Abdul Waheed, College Principal Tasneem Sher Muhammad, College Principal Ghazala Bashir Khan, Deputy Director FDE Muhammad Luqman and Assistant Director FDE Anjum Zaheer.

As per admission notice available with The Nation, areas were specified for the admission in respective institutes of the sector but admission in well-reputed colleges would be provided on merit.

The boys institutes include ICB, G-6/3, IMCB F-7/3, IMCB, F-8/4, IMCB, F-10/3, IMCB, F-11/1, IMCB F-11/3, IMCB G-10/4, IMCB, G-11/1, IMCB, I-10/1. The girl institutes include ICG, F-6/2, IMCG F-7/4, IMCG, G-10/2, IMCG F-8/1 and IMCG I-10/4.

According to the principal, the committee should have adopted a centralised system for reviewing the admission process as there is uncertainty among heads of the colleges.

Talking to The Nation, Member Admission Committee Director FDE Dr. Tariq Masood said that committee’s role is to facilitate the admission process while all the admission tests were conducted by institutes.

“The committee has a technical task to accommodate the students who were deprived of taking admission in model institutes,” he added.

According to Dr Tariq, admission process is being finalised for grade prep and lists are being displayed. He said that infrastructure of 391 institutes is also being improved under the Prime Minister Education Reforms Programme (PERP) and it will help in dealing with the pressure of admission in new session.

He also said that 16,000 students are enrolled in evening sessions and they are also trying to get admission in the morning session.