Despite the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC’s) acceptance of the four-year bachelor’s in science (BS) degree as equivalent of the old master’s degree (16 years of education), BS (honours) degree holders are having problems in getting jobs as they are considered “less educated”.
The graduates said that despite having a four-year bachelor’s degree, they were not accommodated at government or private offices. They held the HEC and their institution responsible, saying that the BS (honours) programmes were not properly advertised. Most institutions in the city started BS (honours) classes with the recommendation of the HEC, as the commission approved that the degree was equivalent to master’s degree.
The graduates said that even the good-scoring students of BS (honours) at the Punjab University (PU), Government College University (GCU), Forman Christian College University (FCCU), Beaconhouse National University (BNU), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Fast National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Kinnaird College University (KCU) and the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) were among those searching for job and not getting one because they had a bachelor’s degree.
A PU Institute of Administrative Sciences (IAS) student said that he had a BS (honours) degree and went for an interview at a bank, but was rejected for not having a master’s degree. “I told the interviewing panel that a four-year bachelor’s programme was equal to the old master’s degree and showed them a letter issued by the HEC and his department in this regard, but they did not listen to me,” he said.
Amer Ilyas, a BS (honours) student at the PU Institute of Communication Studies, said that there was confusion among various PU departments about BS (honours) programmes. He said that according to rules, a BS (honours) degree was equal to an old master’s degree, but a number of departments were offering two-year master’s programmes after the BS (honours). He said that wherever the graduates applied for job, employers demanded a master’s degree. He said that sometimes, government institutions also demanded an HEC letter for the validity of their degrees. He said that foreign universities recognised their degrees, but Pakistani institutions did not.
Sadaf Sadique, a student of LCWU, said that the HEC and even universities’ administrations had not properly briefed institutions about the BS (honours) programmes. She said that universities only advertised it during admission days. She said that LCWU was offering bachelor programmes in 35 departments, and hundreds of girls were doing four-year BS (honours).
Rules are known: HEC Quality Assurance Adviser Dr Riaz Qureshi said that the commission’s rules suggested that a four-year bachelor’s degree was equal to an old master’s degree. He said that bachelor’s was a four-year programme in almost every country, which was why the HEC started it in Pakistan in 2003. “We have advertised about it in newspapers, and have also written to our affiliated institutions,” he said, adding that they had also sent a letter to the Public Service Commission in this regard.
BNU Communication Adviser Arfa Sarfraz said that the university had been receiving such complains, and sometimes institutions inquired about their degree. She said that all universities of the city should start a joint campaign to introduce their bachelor’s degree programmes in the market.
No 2-year bachelor’s: LCWU Mass Communication Department Head Dr Anjum Zia said that most colleges of Punjab had been offering two-year bachelor’s programmes, while universities were offering four-year programmes, which was confusing for employers.
She suggested that all colleges should start four-year bachelor’s programmes to remove the confusion. She said that the HEC and the media should guide institutions on four-year degree programmes.
PU Registrar Dr Naeem Ahmed Khan said that the PU had advertised about BS (honours) programmes. He said that he would meet the Education secretary and other representatives on July 28 on the BS (honours) students’ issues. He said that the PU was giving jobs to BS (honours) graduates.
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