Islamabad - Admission fee in colleges may be reduced, as the director general of federal directorate of education (FDE) has directed the concerned officials to look into the matter and make sure that fee structure is revised and brought to a reasonable level to facilitate the poor students coming from far-off areas.
Qaiser Majeed Malik, the DG FDE and additional secretary capital administration and development division (CADD), expressed these views during his visit to Islamabad Model College for Boys, H-9, on Saturday.
He was told that most of the students belonged to lower middle class of the society and a considerable number belonged to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Northern Areas, Kashmir and Balochistan. The DG was informed that a great number of students joining the college either quitted or sought financial support from different funds as the fee at the time of admission had been increased four times for the session 2013-14 onward from about Rs 2,000 to Rs 8,000 for 1st year and from Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,000 for BA/BSc part-I.
The students belonging to poor families are compelled to stop studies. It is very difficult for the parents to afford this increase. The DG showed concern over this abrupt increase and asked the Director Colleges M Zulfiqar to look into the matter and make sure the fee structure was revised and brought to a reasonable level.
Besides this, the DG was informed that IMCB H-9 had played a major role in the spread of education in Northern Areas, Kashmir and FATA but the students of those areas faced hardships because of closure of college hostel, which at present was under the occupation of Pakistan Baitul Maal.
Professor Saghir Ahmed Mirani, the president of Federal Government College Teachers Association (FGCTA), and Professor Zahid Ali Shah, former president FGCTA, briefed the DG about excessive delay in the promotion of FG college teachers. He was further informed about shortage of teaching staff in Sihala Degree College, Islamabad Model Colleges for Girls, I-8/3, IMCG I-14, and Humak college. The DG promised that case of provision of posts in those colleges would be taken up with priority.
The DG visited different departments and classrooms. He talked to the students and expressed satisfaction over academic and administrative setup and functioning of the college. The DG promised that he would personally talk to the DG PAK PWD and direct the P&D section for renovation of the college building.
The DG very graciously allowed the college administration to work on the lines to allow any NGO or another department to develop the college stadium and the grounds.