Students demand BS programme restored

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has discontinued the four-year BS programme started three years ago at Ghazi Hamlet Government Boys’ Degree College. The administration has stopped accepting further admissions in the programme.

Owing to this decision, hundreds of students fear that three of their academic years will be wasted. The students affected by the decision held a protest rally in front of the college and demanded that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister review the decision.

The protesting students said the four-year programme in English and Physics was started in 2018 in place of the BA programme. The then principal, Shafi Khattak, played a key role in launching the programme to facilitate students from poor families gain education and many students from remote areas took admission.

Students Chaudhry Umar Faraz, Shaharyar Khan, Hamza Mehsud, Asad Ali, Kamran Rahim, Naeem Waqas Siddiqui Fahim Khan and Bilal Babar Ali said during the protest that the four-year programme initiative in a village college was no less than a blessing. However, following the principal’s transfer, the new incumbent ended the programme, which was done this year.

Students were told to go to another college, which is a tall order. After doing BS in one college for three years, it is impossible to get admission to another college.

There is no other boys’ college besides the one in Ghazi area of Haripur district. Therefore, students can’t transfer to another college.

Omar Farooq and Ali, two other affected students, said there are eight semesters in the BS programme. They have paid Rs7,000 per semester to the college administration. Some students have completed six semesters, while others have completed five.

During the protest, the student said that first the BA programme was ended and now the BS programme has also been stopped. The BS programme requires permanent pharmacists in the college.

Students said that they can’t afford to bear the expense of going to Haripur and of living in a hostel. Protesting outside the college, the students announced they would further extend the sit-in to the streets, and even go to Peshawar.

When contacted, the college administration said the programme was being ended in light of the orders of the provincial government. The college also has a shortage of teachers and is lacking in funds.

They said that the administration is aware of the students’ concerns due to which recommendations are being prepared for transfer to other colleges in Haripur city.