Punjab colleges deny admissions to Cambridge students due to delay in Urdu exam results

• Punjab's colleges have refused to give even provisional admissions to the Cambridge students in intermediate programmes. 
• The colleges are not offering admissions as they failed to realise that it was not students’ fault but that of Cambridge authorities, say parents. 
• “If students wait for their results till January, another year will be wasted," says a parent. 

LAHORE: Most of the colleges in Punjab have excused themselves from offering even provisional admissions to the Cambridge students in intermediate programmes as the result of their Urdu exams is yet to be announced, The News reported Monday.

Hundreds of students who passed O-level exams are facing problems in admission to intermediate programmes in Punjab due to delay in Urdu exam results.

Intermediate level admissions started across Punjab recently after all the exams boards in the province announced matric results. However, those getting foreign qualifications, like O-level, seem to be at a great disadvantage as the result of their Urdu paper held earlier this month is yet to be announced.

Talking to The News, the parents of a number of students said that most of the colleges were not offering even provisional admissions as they failed to realise that it was not students’ fault but that of Cambridge authorities.

One such parent, Hashim Raza, said that O-level exams for a few subjects were held in Pakistan in July while the rest, including paper of Urdu, were scheduled in October.

He said thousands of students appeared for Cambridge O-level exams this year in the July series and results for them were out now but the results for the October series would be announced in January.

Hashim Raza maintained that the students who got themselves registered again with the Cambridge were in benefit now by doing A-level while those who wanted to switch to local qualifications were suffering. He said almost all of the colleges were demanding grades for Urdu, which O-level students were unable to show.

“If they wait for their results till January, another year will be wasted, one of which is already wasted during their O-level which is a three-year programme unlike matriculation which is only based on two years,” he added.

The principal of a local public college, seeking anonymity, said that there were no instructions from the government over the issue due to which it was impossible for the public colleges to offer provisional admission to such students.

He added private colleges could take such decisions. No official from Cambridge was available for comment.