Officials,parliamentarian inaugurate BS semester program in Landikotal college

By Ashrafuddin Pirzada

LANDIKOTAL: Inaugurating the first-ever Bachelor of Studies(BS) four- year classes in the lone degree college of Landikotal, Fata Parliamentarian and Fata education officials on Saturday said that they cannot compete with the world in science and technology until they not bring reforms in the traditional education system in Pakistan.

Speakers including senior educationist and director education Fata Hashim Khan Afridi,senator Taj Muhammad Afridi  and doctor profession Aslam Taseer at the inaugural ceremony said that western countries had adopted BS four-year education system in 1856. They said it was the reward of the continued efforts of the college staff and Fata education directorate that they sanctioned the four-year semester education system in Fata.

The ceremony was arranged at Landikotal Degree College which was attended by college students and teachers, civil society members, political parties’ leaders and local elders.

Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, director education Fata Hashim Khan Afridi said that in the first phase they converted 18 degree colleges into Bachelor of studies four-year system in Fata. He said the rest of 17 colleges in the tribal areas would soon be converted into the newly introduced semester system in the coming few years. The official said the conversion decision was taken in the light of reforms in education sector so that they could compete with the education system prevail in the Western countries.

Hashim Khan said the four-year semester system would help increase education ratio and would reduce unemployment in Fata. He said the students would pay only 6500 rupees fee for per semester. He said the semester fee was 90 less comparing it with the fee of the Peshawar University. The official announced exemption for poor students said that those who could afford to pay would be exempted of the semester fee.

Afridi said Fata education department had planned to bring secondary education classes to college level up to 2020. He said primary education was the foundation for the rest of education institutions. He said they were concentrating to bring improvement in primary schools.He said they have demanded 12 teaching staff for the Landikotal degree college.

Principal of the college professor doctor Aslam Taseer in his speech said that as test run they gave admissions in BS program in Urdu and Chemistry departments. He said 70 students got their admissions in BS program and the classes would commence from the next week. Taseer said they were in contact with the Fata secretariat officials to start the same program in the rest of science and arts subjects.

Aslam Taseer said due unavailability of girls college they gave an open choice to the local population in Landikotal if they allow girls to take admission in the college for higher education. He said they would provide all facilities and protection to the female students in the BS program.

Senator Taj Muhammad Afridi said Pakistan was far back in education level from the world countries. He said due to fake promises and announcements Fata people were deprived of their basic rights.

Taj Muhammad alleged that the governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and political agent of Khyber Agency Khalid Mehmood have had made many fake promises with the people of Khyber Agency.Adding that they failed to give practical shape to their words in the past few years. He said the KP governor and political agent had inaugurated mega Landikhana water supply scheme a year before in Landikotal but they could not start construction work on the scheme worth 220 million rupees. Senator said due to their personal differences with the governor and political Agent many of the developmental projects could not be materialized in Khyber Agency.

The senator pledged that in two months he would provide none stop electricity supply from the army electricity feeder to run computers, tube-well and other equipments in the college.

Earlier, Senator Taj Muhammad and director education Fata Hashim Khan Afridi formally inaugurated BS classes by cutting the ribbon.