The private institutions have played a significant role in increasing literacy in Pakistan. Their role in improving the standard of education is also commendable. But there is a serious dilemma that all the institutions, either public or private, need to be on the same page, they should have the same standards and also the fee structure. I would like to draw the authorities’ attention to the problem of degree equivalence. A friend who graduated from the University of Central Punjab, which is an accredited institute of Higher Education in Punjab, after completing her Honours degree wanted to pursue her MS, from University of the Punjab (PU).
She applied to PU, sat for the entry test, and on the final day when the merit lists was released, she was rejected on the ground that PU does not consider her Honors degree equivalent to 16 years of education. She was shocked; the other ridiculous requirement was that PU needs to provide an equivalence certificate from the IAS department, before she would be considered for admission. She visited the HEC office in Lahore and they confirmed that they considered her four years Honors degree equivalent to 16 years, but unfortunately the time for applying had passed and she missed the chance.
It seems time and again our students lose one year or lots of tuition fee because such information is withheld at the time of applying for admission. Had she be informed at the time of submission of application, that she does not meet the entry requirements, she would have managed to compile the proof and gotten the equivalence certificate on time. What is beyond comprehension is why does PU have this strange policy? Does it do to make money by providing its own equivalence certificate? If HEC has recognised a university’s degree, any individual university should not have any such concern! I recommend that HEC should make it obligatory for every university to get the degrees attested and the equivalence obtained from HEC, before issuing it to the students on graduation. I strongly urge the higher authorities to bridge this management and communication gap so that students do not pass through this stress.
SONIA SADAF,
Lahore, June 11.